AccuWeather estimates economic damage and loss for record flooding in Michigan

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

Updated May. 31, 2020 10:37 PM

Record flooding in Central Michigan last week forced more than 11,000 people to be evacuated from their homes and damaged bridges, cars, roads and a sewer system, leading Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer to declare such an event during the coronavirus pandemic, “Truly a crisis in the middle of a crisis.” 

AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss caused by the flooding of the Tittabawassee River and the damage to the Sanford and Edenville dams will total an estimated $640 million, based on an analysis incorporating independent methods to evaluate all direct and indirect impacts of the storms based on a variety of sources. 

AccuWeather’s estimate includes damage to homes and businesses, as well as their contents and cars, as well as job and wage losses, farm and crop losses, contamination of drinking water wells, infrastructure damage, auxiliary business losses and the long-term impact from flooding, in addition to the lingering health effects resulting from flooding and the disease caused by standing water.

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Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Midland County, and President Donald Trump signed an emergency declaration authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts, according to USA Today. There were no major injuries or deaths reported during the disaster, an outcome local officials attributed to a remarkable evacuation effort.

"I think, like everyone, it was hard to believe we're in the midst of a 100-year crisis, a global pandemic and we're also dealing with a flooding event that looks to be the worst in 500 years," Whitmer said.

A slow-moving storm doused Michigan with heavy rains over the period of several days, triggering fear of imminent dam failure and flood warnings across the state.

The two dams, located roughly 140 miles north of Detroit, broke on the evening of May 19 after an extended period of heavy rains. The Tittabawassee River hit a historic high the following day at 35.05 feet, well above major flood stage, which is 28 feet, but below the 38-foot mark officials worried the crest would reach. 

People survey the damage on one of two North M-30 bridges on Wednesday, May 20, 2020 in Edenville, Mich. After two days of heavy rain, the Edenville Dam failed and flood waters rushed south, ravaging the landscape in its path. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

It costs roughly $25 to $50 million to build a dam, and the damage to the dams highlights a nationwide problem, as The Associated Press reported in November 2019. The AP's two-year investigation found “scores of dams nationwide” in poor condition and situated in dangerous locations. “They loom over homes, businesses, highways or entire communities that could face life-threatening floods if the dams don’t hold.”

A lawsuit was filed late last week by residents and businesses in central Michigan against the operator of the dams and two state agencies responsible for overseeing the structures. The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $75,000 and is perhaps just the first such legal action. 

Flooding is often not covered by standard insurance policies, a fact the owner of Fieros Forever, discovered when his Pontiac Fiero museum and 19 of the 20 cars in his collection were destroyed, according to the Detroit Free Press. "It's devastating," said 73-year-old Timothy Evans.

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