Floods and dam breaks: Around 10,000 people have to be evacuated 

In the US state of Michigan, approximately 10,000 people have to leave their homes due to flooding. In view of the corona pandemic, this is an even greater challenge.

• Heavy rainfall led to flooding and dam breaks in the US state of Michigan .
• Now around 10,000 people have to be evacuated .
• In Corona times, this is even more difficult than usual. 

Detroit - Around 10,000 people have had to leave their homes in Michigan after a flood following heavy rainfall . In the Midland district, the Edenville and Sanford dams were broken due to the water masses, the authorities said on Tuesday evening (local time). They ordered evacuations. Governor Gretchen Whitmer had declared a state of emergency for the county . People should seek shelter in shelters or stay with relatives or friends outside of the district.

I will issue an emergency declaration tonight to ensure officials have the resources they need to respond to the Edenville Dam collapse. The State Emergency Operations Center is activated & fully engaged in the response. We'll share additional information as it becomes available.

Floods in the USA: National Weather Service warns of dangerous flash floods

Whitmer warned that downtown Midland could be up to nine feet under water in the next few hours . "We expect a historical flood level," she said. The National Weather Service also warned of extremely dangerous flash floods. Aerial photographs showed flooded streets and a burst dam along the Tittabawassee River.

A US citizen affected by the Michigan flooding is trying to get his plants to safety. 

© dpa / Katy Kildee

So far, no one has been injured, a spokesman for the district administration told  CNN  . Around 3,500 residential buildings have been cleared . Given the spread of coronavirus *, however, housing so many citizens in emergency shelters is a challenge. The people were equipped with face masks *, the emergency services wear protective clothing, it said.

Floods in the USA - National Guard helps with evacuation

“ Getting through this in the midst of a global pandemic is almost unimaginable. But we are here and we will do our best to do it together, ”said the governor. The National Guard is also helping with the evacuation . Other states in the US Midwest have been experiencing heavy rainfall for days. 

By the way: You can read all the latest developments on the corona virus crisis in the USA in our news ticker. 

The combination of a pandemic and extreme weather conditions is currently not only affecting the USA. A super cyclone is causing mischief on the coasts of India and Bangladesh. 

And it was only in February that storm "Sabine" caused a stir in Germany and other parts of Europe. 

You can also read exactly what the differences between storms, cyclones and tornadoes are at Merkur.de *.

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.