After the Edenville and Stanford dams breached, Midland Michigan was hit with a troubling flood on May 16. 

The two dams are connected to the Tittabawassee River and lead to a town called Midland. Midland is home to over 40,000 Americans. This town is 140 miles north of Detroit. Detroit is the biggest city in Michigan, with its population well over 500,000 people.

 In 1986, the state was hit with an incredible flood, which would take Michigan over 15 years to fully recover. Over 19 inches of rainfall occurred that summer. It is estimated that 1 billion dollars were spent rebuilding and practically restarting the state. With the United States getting most of its crops from Midwest states like Michigan, the damage to the agricultural economy was significant. 

Michigan is struggling because of COVID-19 too. Americans With Michigan forcing 10,000 residents to evacuate their homes, citizens have nowhere to go. Emergency shelters are crammed with people, and most hotels closed. Shelters are in a difficult place turning down stranded people, to maintain social distancing laws. 

“This is almost unthinkable in the midst of a global pandemic,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer in a press conference, “Continue to wear a face-covering if you are going to a shelter. Please try to observe social distancing. I know it’s going to be hard at a shelter, but please try.”

On Thursday, May 21 President Trump ordered Michigan into State of Emergency. This allowed them to receive federal money. Furthermore, he also sent out 200 soldiers equipped with supplies to help Michigan.