At least six Michigan counties are under states of emergency because widespread flooding that has caused severe damage to public infrastructure — and threatens more.
Menominee, Benzie, Emmet, Grand Traverse and Alpena counties have all declared local states of emergency that allow local officials, first responders, law enforcement, and local government and community leaders to deal with current weather-related situations.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order signed on April 10, 2026, declared Cheboygan County under a state of emergency, suspending some regulations to allow faster responses.
Here’s a look at what’s happening.
Alpena County flooding
“This declaration notifies Lansing that as of April 12, our area has sustained considerable damage and is expecting more in the coming days if rain persists. Genschaw Road between Princeton and Long Rapids has collapsed. We fear that additional roads may do the same,” Alpena County officials said in a release discussing their declaration.
Officials said they’re expecting more damage if rain persists and are encouraging residents to stay away from flooded areas and not drive on roads that are covered with water.
Menominee River flooding
On April 14, Menominee County Administrator Larry Phelps declared a local emergency as the National Weather Service is forecasting the Menominee River will continue to rise to a crest of 20 feet by Thursday afternoon, tying a record which was last reached on May 9, 1960.
Officials in Menominee County, in the Upper Peninsula’s southwest corner, are also encouraging residents to stay away from dams as additional gates will need to be open to manage the flow of water, resulting in the rapid rise of water levels and flow for a short period of time.
Dams along the Menominee River likely will have to open additional spillway gates to release water and officials said numerous roads and stream crossings have already suffered damage, and the full extent of damage or depth of water has not been assessed by local officials as of Wednesday morning.
“Rising floodwaters have caused dangerous conditions throughout our county, including impassible roads, sinkholes, washed out bridges, impacts to utilities and infrastructure, and flooding to homes and businesses,” the Menominee County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post on April 14.
Homestead Dam danger
The Benzie County Board of Commissioners and Chair Art Jeannot signed a declaration of a local state of emergency this week because of the danger of the Homestead Dam on the Betsie River failing and causing downstream flooding. The Benzie County Emergency Operations Center was activated to support the dam stabilization operations, the Office of Emergency Management said in an April 14 release.
Airport closed, road washed out
In Emmet County, where heavy runoff destroyed a portion of M-119, known as the Tunnel of Trees, officials declared a local state of emergency “due to the severity and ongoing nature of the flooding event.”
The chairperson of the Emmet County Board of Commissioners declared a local state of emergency to mobilize all available resources and coordinate response and recovery efforts.
In addition to the state highway, the Pellston Regional Airport remains closed because of high water.
Roads damaged, washed out
Grand Traverse County issued a state of emergency on Tuesday, April 14, “due to ongoing and anticipated flooding impacts” to allow “for enhanced coordination of public safety resources and supports response and recovery efforts across affected areas.”
The Grand Traverse county Sheriff’s Office said travel in the area remains difficult.
“Heads up for your morning commute! Things got even uglier last night. The bridge at Beitner Park failed. Beitner Road is no longer passable. The Grand Traverse County Road Commission has put barricades up at Chums Corners and at Keystone and River Road. Additionally, things didn’t get any better for Sout Airport Road last night. It will remain closed at Park Road and Cass Road,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
South Airport Road, a major thoroughfare, was closed because of high water across travel lanes.
Dam near downtown in danger of failure
It was quiet in downtown Cheboygan early Wednesday, April 15 as businesses were closed in low-lying areas near the threatened Cheboygan Lock and Dam. The dam’s water level rose to 6.6 inches from the top as of 9 a.m. while responders worked to get as much water through it as as quickly as possible.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan counties under states of emergency as they deal with flooding
Reporting by Jalen Williams and Dan Basso, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
