Northern Michigan cleans up after historic floods: ‘I just want to cry’

Historic flooding in mid-April caused Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare emergencies in most Michigan counties, most of them Up North
Weeks later, some places remain inundated with water
The state asks residents to report damage so they can compile an estimate of total damage and seek federal aid

In Cadillac, Judy Allison says she never imagined her home would flood.

When she left her house in mid-April as the waters rose around it, Allison says she only grabbed her pajamas and medication, thinking she could come back the next day.

But by then, the flood waters were too high for Allison to save her belongings. Like many Michiganders, she doesn’t have flood insurance and isn’t sure how she’ll pay for the damage or how long it may take to clean up.

“When I look at my house, I just want to cry,” she said.

Weeks after heavy rains met spring snowmelt to create historic floods that destroyed homes, wiped out roads and bridges and threatened dams throughout northern Michigan, the region continues to clean up and assess the damage.

How to get help

Michiganders dealing with flooding in their home or business are encouraged to report the damage to the state here.
Residents can call the American Red Cross of Northern Michigan at 231-947-7286 or dial 211 to be connected to other local resources.
Residents experiencing issues with gas or electric should contact their utility provider.
Owners of private wells that were overtaken by floodwater should consult with the local health department to ensure the safety of their water.

In places such as Indian River and Cheboygan County’s Tuscora Township, many homes and businesses remain consumed by standing water. State officials urge residents to report flood damage to help them understand the scale of destruction for possible federal relief. The American Red Cross has sent four teams to northern Michigan to help residents affected by the damage, handing out essential items such as cleaning materials, water, and other items.

RELATED:

“We’re seeing a lot of fear, a lot of worry, a lot of indecision,” said Susan Giftos, who manages a Cadillac Facebook group focused on sharing information regarding flood relief resources. “We’re seeing actually a big need for some crisis intervention or grief counseling.”

Weeks after the floodwaters stopped rising, chunks of ice from Lake Superior are floating up to homes, destroying decks, windows and garage doors, state Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, said. Propane tanks are floating away from houses, and some areas are experiencing a fuel shortage because of washed out roads.

“There’s all of these ancillary issues that are still going on,” Cavitt said. “It’s a little premature to talk about funding, but we’re certainly going to fight hard for it.”

The lasting damage from the floods canceled the Roscommon Canoe Classic scheduled to take place last week because the section of the South Branch of the AuSable River where the race is held is not safe, Roscommon County Canoe Racing Association President Sean Brabant said. With recently fallen trees from the March ice storm, along with April’s snowmelt and flooding, Brabant said “monstrous log jams” have formed on the river.

A flooded neighborhood — Flower Butler’s and Matthew Williams’ neighborhood in Cadillac is seen flooded on April 14. Williams said this was never an area that was supposed to flood. (Courtesy of Flower Butler)

“It’s the worst it’s been since I’ve been around,” Brabant said.

Crews worked more than 20 hours freeing up problematic areas of the river, but work remains and the river is “passable, but not raceable,” Brabant said.

Also in Roscommon County, the water levels of Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake and Lake St. Helen all remain above the court-ordered legal summer level, and may not recede more than an inch per week.

“It’s going to be a while,” county board Chairperson Darlene Sensor said. “We are doing everything we possibly can.”

In Leelanau County, the Glen Lake Association is tasked with operating the Crystal River dam according to a court order that stipulates minimum flow requirements and establishes how water is shared between the lake and the river.

“We got an extraordinary amount of rainfall on the heels of an extraordinary amount of snow, which overloaded the system with water,” said association Executive Director Kate Gille.

Last month, the association recorded the highest lake level and the highest river flow since the organization began tracking such data in 2010. Peak river flow in the spring typically measures 95 to 100 cubic feet per second. But the Glen Lake Association measured the river flowing at 159 cubic feet per second during the deluge.

Homeowners on the Glen Lakes reported and took photos of wind blowing ice mounds onto their windward shorelines, causing erosion.

“Nature will do what it does,” said Gille. “We recommend to riparians that they protect their shorelines using native plants to create a vegetative buffer.”

This reporting is made possible by the Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative, led by Bridge Michigan and Interlochen Public Radio, and funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan.

Thank you to our Michigan Environment Watch sponsors

Bridge Michigan Environment Watch is made possible by generous financial support from our sponsors. Sponsorship supports our independent journalism mission but does not constitute sponsor endorsement of individual articles or editorial content. Bridge Michigan journalism remains fact- and data-driven and independent at all times.

Please visit the About page for more information and to subscribe to Environment Watch. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Contact Emma Carr.