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David Nicholas: This is All Things Considered, I'm David Nicholas. Memorial Day weekend, as we know, is big business in northern Michigan, but many people are working through the consequences of the widespread flooding in the region we had last month. I'm with WCMU reporter AJ Jones, and he spoke with business owners on the Indian River.
So, I'm curious, AJ, you've been talking to marinas in the area and what are they dealing with ahead of the big holiday weekend and the boating season?
AJ Jones: Well, David, in Tuscora Township, where Indian River is, that's in Cheboygan County. It's home to a lot of marinas. The widespread flooding has pushed back the opening dates for quite a lot of them. I spoke to Bob and Patty Murdoch. They run the Howe Marina. They service about 400 people per year. They say their business has been damaged by the high waters. They told me their service area, the boat slips, the gas pumps, they're all underwater. They expect to be open for business for the late season, but they said that this year will be a financial loss. Bob said this:
Bob Murdock: It's a big goose egg this year. We have a lot of our customers have called and said, don't even bother to put the boats in the water because we're not going to go boating this year.
AJ: In addition, erosion has washed away shorelines in some places, making it hard to even get boats in the water. It's worth noting that the Cheboygan County Sheriff's Office reopened the waterways last week, but they say boaters should be cautious and watch for debris. They should be careful to avoid excessive wakes because of erosion fears. And frankly, David, it's just not great condition to be out on the water in a boat.
DN: Sounds as if that's indeed the case. Beyond the marinas, have we heard anything about the impact to short-term rentals?
AJ: Yeah, that's important because tourism in general is big business for the region. A lot of people will rent their houses out for the summer for the tourists that come up. I spoke with Vicki Morgan from the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, and she also says that some reservations have already been canceled in advance and homes that are typically used for short-term rentals have been damaged by the flooding. She says the region is working together, but the summer tourism season will be harder this year.
Vicki Morgan: We are looking at VRBOs, individual families who rent their places, hotels, motels, white water rafting, you know, just those kinds of things, those will all be hugely impacted. I am foreseeing this to be a really tough season for most folks.
DN: So often this becomes an issue in situations like this: I've heard that most people in the area don't have flood insurance. Why is that?
AJ: Yeah, in basically every interview I've done over the past month about this, it keeps coming up. People tell me that they don't have flood insurance. Well, the truth is, David, most Americans don't have flood insurance. Only about 4% of people nationwide do.
Many people across the country either don't know their options or they just find it to be too expensive. But the primary reason I keep finding for this is that people just don't think they need flood insurance. So, you know, car insurance, for example, is quite pricey, but you really need car insurance and everyone kind of understands that. But this flooding event in northern Michigan was extremely unprecedented.
According to federal data, this was the wettest year to date over the past 132 years in most of the Northern Lower Peninsula. It's also the wettest April ever in much of the region. Added with record snowfall in March, most people didn't expect this. You know, that's what I've been hearing. Bob Murdock told me that he's been there every summer for 68 years on Indian River and he's never seen this. In the Black Lake area in Cheboygan, I talked to John Mousseau. He's a homeowner who had his house completely flooded and ruined. He told me that he had a home there since 1990, and he had never seen anything on that level. So I think for a lot of people, they just have never seen anything like this.
DN: And so at this point, as we sit down today, it sounds like people are still very much in the midst of the cleanup phase nearly a month later.
AJ: Yeah, that's definitely the case. You know, a lot of the area is still under high waters, and like I said, there's still concerns about debris. Talking to Vicki Morgan, she told me that some people up there still have yet to get into their houses to start the recovery process.
She also told me the Chamber of Commerce and Red Cross are currently delivering supplies, and this is everything from cleaning supplies to pumps, dehumidifiers, basic needs. What I'm watching closely is a potential federal disaster declaration. Right now, federal and state officials are surveying for damage across the region for a potential application, and that's crucial to getting people their FEMA compensation and low-interest business loans from the Small Business Association. Governor Whitmer late last week asked for an extension to make her request for those damages.
DN: Sounds like it's going to be a long road back for many people. We'll hope that assistance gets there. AJ Jones, thanks for your reporting on this.
AJ: Thank you.
