Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency in Midland County and activated the National Guard to help relocate people. That’s after water breached two dams – causing historic flooding. The breaches sent a surge of water into surrounding communities. It’s expected downtown Midland could be under as much as nine feet of water before the flooding starts to subside. Shelters have been set up. 150 patients have been moved from a hospital.
Governor Whitmer declared the situation dire, and said people need to leave the flood zone immediately.
“Please, do not hesitate," Whitmer said. "Go stay with a friend or a relative, or get to one of these shelters now.”
The governor said people should also do their best to maintain social distancing and other precautions to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19 as emergency responders try to manage two crises at the same time.