Sell out or repair? Homeowners torn after Michigan's historic flooding

Homeowners in the Black Lake and Indian River areas are still trying to recover from historic floods in April
Some residents are contemplating whether to sell or destroy their homes, while others are deciding to spend thousands of dollars to repair
Some speculators are hoping to get a deal on waterfront properties damaged in the flood

BLACK LAKE — Weeks after fighting historic floods that enveloped his Black Lake cabin, Larry Lukich said he’s had to fight “vultures” looking for a deal on his water-damaged lakefront home.

“I’ve entertained a few of those people, but I’m not going to give it away,” he said of the cabin his grandparents built in the 1920s. “I’ve lived here 45 years.”

Spring snowmelt met heavy rains in mid-April to cause historic floods that inundated half the state, washing out roads, collapsing dams and damaging nearly 1,000 homes. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s request for federal aid says the floods caused $39 million in damage to private and public property.

Though the waters have receded for most, the floods continue to remake sleepy Up North communities as some homeowners — most of whom lacked flood insurance — tear down or sell out because they can’t afford to clean up and rebuild.

MORE: Michigan floods reveal lack of information, preparation in many rural areas

Longtime family cottages are being torn down because the land is worth more without the damaged home sitting on it, said Gil Archambo, supervisor of Cheboygan County’s Grant Township, which covers about half of Black Lake. And speculators are moving through the area hoping to pick up damaged properties for a deal.

“It’s a terrible situation, especially for some elderly people on a fixed income,” Archambo said. “It’s a bad scenario.”

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At least three homes are being torn down around Black Lake, said Brett Trepanier, president of the Black Lake Association. One of the homes coming down has been around since the 1940s or 50s. He doesn’t know if those homes will be rebuilt.

It’s a story told repeatedly and increasingly often as climate change makes severe storms more common and stronger, affecting even areas not previously prone to flooding. Affected homeowners face difficult choices about whether to spend big to rebuild and possibly face floods again or to cut their losses and move to higher ground.

A study last year by the University of Vermont found people often leave if they can and that higher-income people tend to leave first, leaving fewer resources behind for communities trying to recover.

Michigan can expect more frequent flooding as heavier-precipitation winters continue to melt earlier and meet heavier-precipitation springs, said Jonathan Overpeck, a University of Michigan climate scientist. The state’s infrastructure — including our homes — isn’t built for the climate that’s coming.

“You have to be able to upgrade your property, your home, or you need to think about selling it so someone else can think about doing that,” he said. “It’s a pretty sad state of affairs, but this is what climate change looks like.”

A flooded street — Some homes located at the mouth of the Sturgeon River into Burt Lake are still dealing with water damage almost two months after a historic flood put them underwater. (Blace Carpenter/Bridge Michigan)

“It can have devastating consequences,” Beth Gibbons, the director of Washtenaw County’s Resiliency Office and practitioner in residence at the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments, said in a separate interview.

Gibbons said “practically everyone” should consider getting flood insurance, even if they don’t live in a floodplain and aren’t required to have it. She also said it’s important to note that, even with flood insurance, basements aren’t insurable and residents need to rethink how they use those spaces.

Most folks around Black Lake are “starting to get their bearings back,” and repairs are coming along at most homes, Archambo, the township supervisor, said.

A Black Lake Strong sign is seen in a yard — “Black Lake Strong” signs can be seen in the front yards of several homes in the Black Lake area. Homeowners suffered major flooding damage in April after heavy rainfall met with spring snowmelt. (Blace Carpenter/Bridge Michigan)

“I think there’s gonna be some leave, but the majority of them will stay,” he said. “They’ll get through this.”

Ann Williams wanted to sell her parents’ cabin, but the flooding depreciated the value so much it’s not worth it to sell yet.

“It is emotionally worth more than what the market is saying right now,” Williams said of the cabin her parents bought on the lake in 1953. “We’ll wait until the market rebounds and see what we can do at that point.”

Trepanier, of the Black Lake Association, said it’ll take some time for the community to get back to normal.

“The boat traffic is gonna be a little bit different” this summer, he said. “Folks are gonna be more focused on repairs than how many days they can lay out in the sun.”

A home is seen after being repaired following a flood

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