One year later: What's next? - Midland Daily News

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Bringing things “back to normal” after a natural disaster is not a quick process.

Bringing the Midland area back to normal after last year’s flood from the Edenville dam failures could take years, even with many different sectors of the community working diligently to repair what was lost. Here are the projects and timeframe estimates from different community groups  on flood recovery.

Four Lakes Task Force

In January, ownership of the dams and lakes along the Tittabawassee River system was transferred from Boyce Hydro to the Four Lakes Task Force. The transfer included about 300 parcels/lots of land, with a total of more than 6,000 acres.

Through it finally has ownership of the dams, FLTF has been working constantly to rehabilitate the properties since last May.

Between the Edenville and Sanford dams, roughly $16 million is needed to finish stabilization efforts to ensure reconstruction and repair work can begin in spring 2022, said FLTF president David Kepler.

For the Secord and Smallwood dams, FLTF is working to finish engineering work and flood studies to begin reconstruction around the same time of year.

"The big things we're focused on right now are finishing up the recovery effort and getting prepared to start to do the restoration of the dams and the bottomlands," Kepler said.

Formed in 2018, FLTF is the delegated authority working on behalf of Midland and Gladwin counties to oversee the dams and lakes along the Tittabawassee River system.

City of Midland

The City of Midland has multiple construction projects moving forward to repair buildings damaged by the flood, said assistant city manager David Keenan. The three major ones are the Currie Municipal Golf Course, Riverside Place and the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library.

For Riverside, the city is waiting on construction bids to come for the buildings needed repairs. Keenan said it will take multiple months for the construction project to be completed once a construction team is awarded a bid.

Similar to that, the library needs mechanical repairs and work on the lower level before the building can reopen to the public. Midland City Council recently approved construction bids for this project and will take an estimated six months to complete.

Currie Golf Course needs multiple building repairs, turf replacement and hole repairs, Kennan said. The city is also working on projects related to stormwater and wastewater projects with costs estimated at $50 million.

Along with construction, the city is working on administering a property acquisition program to help residents in a flood plain apply for federal grants to relocate, Keenan said.

“Midland is an intelligent community, it is an involved community, and at some level, they are going to be sort of finishing what we're doing,” Keenan said.

County of Midland

Midland County has its own flood recovery projects in the works spearheaded by emergency management coordinator Jenifier Boyer.

The first is a "floodplain management study" with the Army Corps of Engineers.

"(The Army Corps of Engineers) are going to study the 100-year floodplain to really identify areas and communities where we could possibly do mitigation projects," Boyer said.

Boyer is also working with the United States Geological Survey on a "flood mapper" tool that could potentially predict the impact of future flooding events.

Midland businesses

On top of the COVID-19 pandemic, local businesses in Midland County took a huge blow from the flood. Midland Business Alliance President Tony Stamas said there are currently four or five businesses still closed from the flood last year, based on the businesses they alliance works with.

He said businesses across the county face a variety of impacts from the flood, whether it was a few feet of water, or complete devastation of their buildings.

The business alliance has been trying to help businesses and homeowners by going through legislators to get the needed assistance, He also wants to help businesses figure reopening plans from COVID-19 restrictions.

“We have a great community that finds solutions and we want to make sure we are helping them find those solutions and helping those businesses thrive,” Stamas said.

Long Term Disaster Recovery Group

United Way of Midland President and CEO Holly Miller also chairs the Long-Term Disaster Recovery Group, a group of local of non-profits, businesses, faith-based organizations and government leaders. The collective helps flood victims by guiding them through a process of recovery and home rebuilding.

The group’s efforts will take years to complete, with the group still currently working with individuals with home rebuilding and might take another 18 or 24 months to do so. Miller said they are currently utilizing a FEMA grant during the warmer months to help rebuild homes and make them livable.

“When we say long term recovery effort, it really means long term,” Miller said. “We are nowhere near done. Knowing where the finish line is, we will know when we get there, but it is really hard to predict.”

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