Lisa Callan’s voice cracks as she talks about what it’s been like since the Edenville dam failed five years ago.
“Just bad news...just waiting and waiting…nothing’s happening,” Callan said Monday.
Lisa Callan is among thousands of people in Midland and Gladwin counties whose homes and businesses were damaged or swept away after the Edenville and Sanford dams were breached on May 19, 2020. The aging dams failed after days of heavy rain.
The ensuing flood forced thousands to flee their homes.
The Tittabawassee River crested in Midland at more than 30 feet. The cleanup took weeks and months. Some residents are still trying to rebuild.
The flood damaged or destroyed 2,500 homes and businesses and resulted in $175 million in damages.
In 2022, an independent review of the disaster found the dam failures were "foreseeable and preventable."
As the flood debris were cleared, lawsuits began to be filed.
With the Edenville dam’s former owner, Boyce Hydro, in bankruptcy, litigants focused on the state of Michigan, which was responsible for monitoring the safety of the aging dam.
Recently, a Michigan Court of Claims judge denied the state's request to resolve the case without trial. The lawsuit involves roughly 2,000 flood victims in Gladwin, Midland, and Saginaw counties.
Attorney Ven Johnson accused the state of Michigan of intentionally delaying the legal process and the state’s accountability.
“When we’re talking about people’s property….our government should be doing better, “ said Johnson.
He accuses the state of “kicking the can down the road,” saying it's a tactic state lawyers have used before in the aftermath of the Flint water crisis.
The state of Michigan eventually agreed to a $600 million settlement to resolve legal claims in the Flint water crisis.
Johnson would like to see the state set up a similar fund for mid-Michigan residents affected by the 2020 flood.
A Michigan Attorney General's office spokesperson took issue with Johnson's statements.
"Despite the claims of plaintiffs’ attorney Johnson today (Monday), the litigation still pending in the Court of Claims is nothing like the Flint water litigation," said Press Secretary Danny Wimmer in a written statement, "The plaintiffs do not have the evidence to support their allegations. Instead, the evidence confirms that the state agencies are not responsible for the dam’s failure.
The civil trial is currently scheduled for January, 2026.
Meanwhile, reconstruction of the dams and the restoration of Wixom Lake and three other lakes goes on.
It’s estimated that the cost of the project will approach $400 million.
To raise the necessary funds, the Four Lakes Task Force, the group leading the restoration work, is depending in part on a special assessment on properties in the affected area. Midland and Gladwin county leaders approved the assessment over the strenuous objections of their residents. Property owners took the assessment to court, arguing they were being asked to pay too much and they were not at fault. But recently, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled against the property owners’ lawsuit.
Michael Callan said the special assessment is taking a toll on property owners like him, who are still reeling financially from the flood and their own mounting recovery bills.
"It’s getting harder financially. We’ve held out…trying not to file bankruptcy and you know, ruin my business and ruin everything,” said Callan. “We weren’t at fault for this.”
The restoration work is expected to continue for the next several years.
