A stretch of Highway M-119 between Island View and Division Road in Michigan collapsed, presumably due to flooding, according to the Emmet County Sheriff's Office. Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the area on Friday, and the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the northern half of Lower Michigan. The exact cause of the roadway collapse and when the highway will reopen to traffic remain unknown.
Dam safety concerns have intensified as the Cheboygan Dam water level reached the 'READY' mark of Michigan's emergency safety protocol, indicating water within 12 inches of the top of the dam and increasing by at least 3 inches per day, according to the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office. Officials urged residents to sandbag their homes, secure outdoor items, move valuables to higher levels, and prepare to evacuate, with authorities in northern Michigan advising that residents near the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex should be prepared to evacuate at any time. The Cheboygan Dam is classified as a high-hazard structure, meaning a failure could lead to significant destruction and loss of life, per the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s National Dam Inventory, and rain is expected to last through Thursday, which could put more pressure on the dam. Specific evacuation plans and the likelihood of a dam failure given current conditions are unclear.
Response efforts are underway, with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources activating five pumps on Sunday to divert water around the dam. Crews placed 1,500 sandbags along the lock on Thursday and added more on Saturday to serve as a buffer against rising water. The dam was rated in 'fair' condition during a September 2022 inspection, is not currently producing power, and is privately owned by Hom Paper while remaining part of a lock system managed by the Department of Natural Resources. The Cheboygan Dam water level reached 13.75 inches at the dam by Monday morning.