Cheboygan Dam by MSP Emergency Management & Homeland Security Division

Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are absolutely drowning in floodwater. One place that is very apparent is Cheboygan, where Gov Whitmer declared a State of Emergency on Friday due to rising water levels at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex.

I’ve been following this over the weekend and the level of all hands on deck activity is pretty incredible, certainly a testament to lessons learned by the collapse of the Edenfield & Sanford Dams six years ago. Michigan Department of Transportation has closed the US-23 bascule bridge in Cheboygan near the dam by raising its deck to the open position. The foundation of the bridge (built in 1940) is susceptible to erosion during flood events. Traffic is being detoured to the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, and residents are urged to follow the Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department for the latest updates.

There’s more photos of efforts at the dam below along with an absolutely wild video from the dam shared a couple of days ago by Michigan Storm Chasers on YouTube.

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