Heavy rains leading to a rather new phenomenon, static liquefaction of sand embankments, only previously observed in tailings dams led to property damage and flooding in central Michigan.

10,000 Midland County, Mich., residents were forced to leave their homes when heavy rains May 19 and 20 swelled the Titabawassee River to a record high and caused the Edenville and Sanford dams to fail.