Trump declares emergency for flooded Michigan communities

MIDLAND, Mich. — Many Central Michigan residents remained cut off from their homes Thursday even as floodwaters receded, with senior citizens among the scores of displaced people staying in shelters after flooding overwhelmed two dams, submerged homes and washed out roads.

President Donald Trump, who was in Michigan to visit a Ford production plant, signed an emergency declaration authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts.

At Midland High School, 90% of people who slept in the school’s gym were senior citizens, said shelter coordinator Jerry Wasserman. He said extra precautions were in place due to the combination of the guests’ ages and the coronavirus pandemic.

Much of the area remained underwater, including in Midland, the headquarters of Dow Chemical Co.

It could be days before the full scope of damage can be assessed, officials said. No flood-related deaths or injuries have been reported.

“The damage is truly devastating to see how high the water levels are, to see roofs barely visible in parts of Midland and to see a lake that has been drained in another part,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who toured Midland County on Wednesday.

The floodwaters mixed with containment ponds at a Dow Chemical Co. plant and could displace sediment from a downstream Superfund site, though the company said there was no risk to people or the environment.