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May 13-19 Severe/Heavy Rain threats


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6 minutes ago, Indystorm said:

I read that the main plant of Dow Chemical in Midland MI has activated its emergency operations center.  Do not know how close it is to the river or expected area of flooding.

It is right on the bank of the river per google maps

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, chances14 said:

Midland flood map https://cityofmidlandmi.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=dce957dc48df43929d8afccbf47edd6a

I guess silver lining is the major population centers should be somewhat spared. Still absolutely devastating though

all those waste/brine/sludge ponds at Dow right in the thick tho, brutal

 

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BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED  
FLASH FLOOD WARNING  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI  
829 AM EDT WED MAY 20 2020  
   
..FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR LOCATIONS DOWNSTREAM OF SANFORD DAM  
  
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT/PONTIAC HAS ISSUED A  
  
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...  
  THE TITTABAWASSEE RIVER FROM SANFORD DAM TO THE CHIPPAWASSEE SCHOOL  
  AREA IN...  
  EAST CENTRAL MIDLAND COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN MICHIGAN...  
  
* UNTIL 215 PM EDT.  
  
* AT 817 AM EDT, COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED UNCONTROLLED FLOW THROUGH   
  THE EMERGENCY SPILLWAY AND THE IMMINENT FAILURE OF SANFORD DAM ON   
  THE TITTABAWASSEE RIVER.  
  
  THIS IS A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR LOCATIONS DOWNSTREAM OF   
SANFORD DAM TO THE CHIPPAWASSEE SCHOOL AREA AND MIDLAND! SEEK HIGHER   
GROUND NOW!  
  
  HAZARD...LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING FROM THE FAILURE OF   
           SANFORD DAM.  
  
  SOURCE...COUNTY DISPATCH.  
  
  IMPACT...THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SEEK HIGHER   
           GROUND NOW! IMMEDIATE EVACUATION FOR AREAS DOWNSTREAM   
           FROM THE SANFORD DAM ALONG THE TITTABAWASSEE RIVER.  
  
* THE NEAREST DOWNSTREAM TOWN IS SANFORD...LOCATED IMMEDIATELY BELOW  
  THE DAM. THE TOWN OF AVERILL IS 3.5 MILES DOWNSTREAM AND THE  
  CHIPPAWASSEE SCHOOL AREA IS 8.5 MILES DOWNSTREAM. AREAS DOWNSTREAM  
  FROM THE SANFORD DAM ALONG THE TITTABAWASSEE RIVER SHOULD BE  
  PREPARED FOR FLOODING.  
  
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...  
  
IF YOU ARE IN LOW LYING AREAS BELOW THE SANFORD DAM YOU SHOULD MOVE  
TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. FOLLOW EVACUATION INSTRUCTIONS PROVIDED  
BY YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ACROSS  
FLOODED ROADWAYS.  
  
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND  
LIFE-THREATENING SITUATION. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRAVEL UNLESS YOU ARE  
FLEEING AN AREA SUBJECT TO FLOODING OR UNDER AN EVACUATION ORDER.  
  
  
  
LAT...LON 4368 8436 4368 8442 4353 8417 4357 8417  
  
FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED  
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CATASTROPHIC  
DAM FAILURE...OCCURRING  
  
  
  

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10 minutes ago, RogueWaves said:

The "relief plug" designed to save total collapse gave out as designed. But it now looks like the rest is buckling too. Yikes

Interesting.

I find it funny people are giving so much crap to the Edenville dam owner for it's failing. It was built in the 1920's, it should have been updated but I doubt anything else would have held up against this flood.

The only thing I can think of is the dams were far too small for the amount of water the Tittibawassee drains. After 4-7 inches of rain over the entire basin, there would be no way for the tiny spillways to let out water at a faster rate than was incoming.

Why didn't they nearly drain the lakes before the event? It was always supposed to be a very large rain event - but not THIS big or pervasive.

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2 minutes ago, LansingWeather said:

The only thing I can think of is the dams were far too small for the amount of water the Tittibawassee drains. After 4-7 inches of rain over the entire basin, there would be no way for the tiny spillways to let out water at a faster rate than was incoming.

Why didn't they nearly drain the lakes before the event? It was always supposed to be a very large rain event - but not THIS big or pervasive.

I mean, dam.

rain.png

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51 minutes ago, LansingWeather said:

Interesting.

I find it funny people are giving so much crap to the Edenville dam owner for it's failing. It was built in the 1920's, it should have been updated but I doubt anything else would have held up against this flood.

The only thing I can think of is the dams were far too small for the amount of water the Tittibawassee drains. After 4-7 inches of rain over the entire basin, there would be no way for the tiny spillways to let out water at a faster rate than was incoming.

Why didn't they nearly drain the lakes before the event? It was always supposed to be a very large rain event - but not THIS big or pervasive.

Issue is that it sounds like normal year to year maintenance was lacking recently which is dangerous with an old earthen dam like that. They also own the Sanford Dam and its the same situation there. 

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Quote

Water levels were still rising in Midland as of 1 p.m. Wednesday. Midland City Manager Brad Kaye said the Sanford Dam is about 60% to 80% overtopped, meaning water is flowing over the structure.

Authorities aren't sure about the dam's condition because so much of it is underwater. Aerial crews are flying overhead regularly to determine how much of the Sanford Dam remains intact.

Kaye said the flooding situation in Midland could worsen significantly if the Sanford Dam fails entirely. That would send a much higher surge of water into the city.

https://www.abc12.com/content/news/Whitmer-working-with-FEMA-on-federal-aid-for-Midland-investigating-dam-failures-570629521.html

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3 hours ago, Stebo said:

Issue is that it sounds like normal year to year maintenance was lacking recently which is dangerous with an old earthen dam like that. They also own the Sanford Dam and its the same situation there. 

Yeah talking with homeowners on Wixom Lake, it was lacking maintenance. It also was being neglected with the water level and not much thought was put to draining until it was too late.

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4 hours ago, MIstorm97 said:

Yeah talking with homeowners on Wixom Lake, it was lacking maintenance. It also was being neglected with the water level and not much thought was put to draining until it was too late.

That blows my mind to not maintain it, but mostly to not drain the lake. This was a well advertised storm.

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On 5/20/2020 at 8:50 PM, LansingWeather said:

That blows my mind to not maintain it, but mostly to not drain the lake. This was a well advertised storm.

More crumbling MI infrastructure. A century of growth followed by decades of decline. A ton of stuff was built without thought of what it might cost to maintain or restore when it reached it's life expectancy.

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