The Briefing Room

General Category => National/Breaking News => Topic started by: Elderberry on May 20, 2020, 12:16:07 pm

Title: 10 000 forced to evacuate amid 'catastrophic dam failures' in central Michigan
Post by: Elderberry on May 20, 2020, 12:16:07 pm
The  Watchers  by Julie Celestial on May 20, 2020

The Edenville and Sanford dams in central Michigan were breached on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, following days of heavy rainfall, forcing about 10 000 residents to evacuate. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued flash flood emergencies along the entire Tittabawassee River in Midland County on May 20, as threats of dangerous flooding continue.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer warned that downtown Midland, which was declared to be under an emergency, could be "under approximately 2.7 m (9 feet) of water" by Wednesday morning, May 20, as waters were rapidly rising after days of heavy rain.

By then, the Tittabawassee River is expected to peak at around 12 m (38 feet) by 12:00 UTC (08:00 LT)-- about 1.2 m (4 feet) higher than its record of 10 m (34 feet) set in 1986. The flood stage is at 7 m (24 feet).

NWS urged residents near the river to seek higher grounds as flash flood emergencies have been issued, as well as a flash flood watch, in what was described as "catastrophic dam failures". People were also advised to be prepared for immediate evacuations and avoid driving into flooded roadways.

More: https://watchers.news/2020/05/20/10-000-forced-to-evacuate-amid-catastrophic-dam-failures-in-central-michigan/ (https://watchers.news/2020/05/20/10-000-forced-to-evacuate-amid-catastrophic-dam-failures-in-central-michigan/)

Error 404 (Not Found)!!1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQh7kIDvNLw#)
Title: Re: 10 000 forced to evacuate amid 'catastrophic dam failures' in central Michigan
Post by: Idiot on May 20, 2020, 01:53:51 pm
@Elderberry - love your avatar.  Looks like my Jack Russell this morning after walking at the park.  Mine gets what I call the "zoomies" and runs around the house uncontrollably for a few minutes like she's psycho.  Pretty funny to watch.

Just to be on topic....   I don't want to see that much water here in Texas, but at least a shower would be nice.  Dang it's HOT.
Title: Re: 10 000 forced to evacuate amid 'catastrophic dam failures' in central Michigan
Post by: Elderberry on May 20, 2020, 03:45:29 pm
My Bane is 1/2 Basenji. Donno the other half. Some have said Jack Russel. Some Pit. After a walk, Bane loves to run and run. Even if just let out to pee, Bane will  yearn to get into play confrontations with our Italian Greyhound and our Deer Chihuahua. If they don't want to participate, he'll just run circles around and around them.
Title: Re: 10 000 forced to evacuate amid 'catastrophic dam failures' in central Michigan
Post by: PeteS in CA on May 24, 2020, 12:01:02 am
https://pjmedia.com/columns/david-forsmark/2020/05/22/ignoring-warnings-mich-ag-sued-to-raise-lake-level-ahead-of-dam-break-to-protect-mussels-n418055 (https://pjmedia.com/columns/david-forsmark/2020/05/22/ignoring-warnings-mich-ag-sued-to-raise-lake-level-ahead-of-dam-break-to-protect-mussels-n418055)

Ignoring Warnings, Mich. AG Sued to RAISE Lake Level Ahead of Dam Break—to Protect Mussels
BY DAVID FORSMARK, MAY 22, 2020 9:08 PM EST
Quote
In her ongoing audition to be Joe Biden’s veep pick, Michigan Governess Gretchen Whitmer all but convicted a private dam owner for the disastrous floods that struck the middle of the state last Wednesday.

However, it wasn’t the dam company that was trying to save a few clams—it was Whitmer’s radical attorney general, Dana Nessel.

Nessel was suing the dam company to raise the lake level three feet in order to save mussels—both endangered and common—and in their response, the dam company cited safety as a reason for not doing so.
...
As Michigan-based Bridge Magazine reports:

Quote
For decades, federal regulators demanded changes to the design of the Edenville Dam to make it more likely to withstand heavy rains and avoid flooding.

So when Michigan regulators assumed oversight of the dam in late 2018 after its owners lost their federal license to generate energy, they took action.
...
Three weeks before the 96-year-old dam failed this week amid heavy rains and caused the worst flood in Midland history, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued its owner, alleging it illegally lowered Wixom Lake in 2018 and 2019, killing “thousands if not millions, of freshwater mussels.”

Enviros strike again!
Title: Re: 10 000 forced to evacuate amid 'catastrophic dam failures' in central Michigan
Post by: Hoodat on May 24, 2020, 12:06:44 am
Quote
For decades, federal regulators demanded changes to the design of the Edenville Dam to make it more likely to withstand heavy rains and avoid flooding.

So when Michigan regulators assumed oversight of the dam in late 2018 after its owners lost their federal license to generate energy, they took action.
...
Three weeks before the 96-year-old dam failed this week amid heavy rains and caused the worst flood in Midland history, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel sued its owner, alleging it illegally lowered Wixom Lake in 2018 and 2019, killing “thousands if not millions, of freshwater mussels.”

Sounds like something straight out of Atlas Shrugged.
Title: Exposed: Michigan Dam Burst Because the State Wanted to Protect Freshwater Mussels
Post by: rangerrebew on May 25, 2020, 10:17:21 am
Exposed: Michigan Dam Burst Because the State Wanted to Protect Freshwater Mussels
Steve Straub By Steve Straub
Published May 24, 2020 at 5:53am


As most readers know by now a dam burst in Michigan after several days of heave rain last week.

Turns out this was a very preventable disaster that occurred because the state mismanaged the dam and because they wanted to protect a species of fresh water mussel.

Here’s the story from Pradheep J. Shanker who is a CEO and occasional contributor to various conservative leaning publications.

https://thefederalistpapers.org/us/exposed-michigan-dam-burst-state-wanted-protect-freshwater-mussels