Nearly three years later, some Sanford residents still don’t have access to the places they used to call home after dam failures in 2020 caused devastating floods.
Scariest thing I ve ever been through : Midland County flood victims still face challenges one year later
The 500-year flood wiped out homes, businesses, and uprooted lives. One year later, many are still rebuilding and still figuring out how to pay for it. Author: Alana Holland (WZZM13) Updated: 4:25 PM EDT May 19, 2021
MIDLAND, Mich. One year ago, heavy rains caused the Edenville Dam near Sanford, Mich. to fail. That sent water rushing out of Wixom Lake downstream to the Sanford Dam, located a street away from downtown Sanford. That dam also failed, crippling the town. The heavy floodwater destroyed many homes and businesses.
Three ways for public to comment on dam task force recommendations
Daily News staff
FacebookTwitterEmail
Homes are seen along Wixom Lake Tuesday, May 19 after an evacuation order the night before for residents of Sanford and Wixom Lakes, warning of imminent dam failure. (Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)(Katy Kildee/kkildee@mdn.net)
The public will have an opportunity during an online meeting this Wednesday to provide feedback on draft recommendations before the Michigan Dam Safety Task Force that address gaps in the state’s regulatory oversight of more than 1,000 dams in Michigan.
The 86 preliminary recommendations are posted on the Michigan Dam Safety Task Force website for the public to review prior to the meeting, which begins at 9 a.m.
Experts work to determine water table depth post-dam failures
Nearly 170 wells drilled in Gladwin since May
Dec. 28, 2020
FacebookTwitterEmail
A pie chart shows the percentage of wells that have been drilled each month in Gladwin County, since May. (Graph provided/FEMA)
Since the Tittabawassee River dam failures, at least 169 water wells have been drilled by contractors in Gladwin County.
Many water wells were left dry in neighboring communities after the failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams and regional flooding in May. As Steve King, director of environmental health for the Central Michigan District Health Department, explained in a previous interview, the groundwater table that existed in the area had been “artificially high” due to the dam and man-made lake system.