Five years after floods devastated mid-Michigan, thousands of victims who lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods are still fighting for their day in court. They have received NO compensation while property values have plummeted from empty lake beds. The State of Michigan has abandoned them, filing motion after motion in court to avoid responsibility for their role in one of the most preventable disasters in our state’s history.
This community has waited five long years, and still – NO accountability. NO restitution.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
Ven Johnson Law is calling on ALL Michiganders to demand immediate action. Contact your state, local and federal legislators TODAY and urge them to stop allowing this injustice to drag on. HALF A DECADE of waiting for fair compensation is unacceptable.
Government officials are elected with the presumption that they monitor, maintain and make necessary repairs to protect our critical infrastructure, such as dams, sewers and roads…it’s why we pay taxes. But instead, they’ve turned a blind eye for decades. And when a disaster unfolded due to this negligence, those responsible chose not to help, but to hide.
Ven Johnson Law will not stop fighting for accountability after the catastrophic failure of the Edenville and Sanford dams – a tragedy that was entirely preventable and long forewarned.
find your senator
When reaching out to your legislators, we encourage you to include your personal story of loss if you or someone you know was affected. Below is suggested language you may use when making phone calls, and sending emails and letters:
Five years ago, on May 19, 2020, the Edenville and Sanford dams failed, flooding and decimating homes, businesses and lives in mid-Michigan. My community continues to suffer. Thousands of people – friends, family and neighbors – have been left entirely without support.
We have received NO justice, NO compensation and are still paying taxes on homes that have lost a significant amount of their value. And now, five years later, the State of Michigan is still trying to get out of the lawsuit.
In August 2024, the State filed another motion seeking governmental immunity in an effort to have the case thrown out. Once again, this delays justice for flood victims.
This process has dragged on long enough. I urge you to stand with us and demand that the government stop using our tax dollars to avoid responsibility, and instead, use them to compensate the victims and rebuild the dams.
Respectfully,
(Your name)