Residents in central Michigan on Thursday began returning to water-logged homes and assessing the scope of damage left by what Gov. Gretchen Whitmer described as a "500-year" flooding event.
The disaster began unfolding on Tuesday after a long period of heavy rain caused rivers to swell beyond anything seen before, which resulted in two dams failing.
By Wednesday night, nearly 11,000 people in Midland had been evacuated in less than 12 hours, city officials pointed out.
They also called attention to a remarkable outcome from the rapid evacuations: There were no major injuries or deaths reported during the disaster.
Whitmer visited the area on Wednesday to assess the damage left after the failures of the Edenville Dam and the Sanford Dam in Midland County. "I think, like everyone, it was hard to believe were in the midst of a 100-year crisis, a global pandemic and were also dealing with a flooding event that looks to be the worst in 500 years," Gov. Whitmer said.