Severe Floodwaters Swallow Northern Michigan Landscape As Aerial Patrol Reveals Widespread Damage

Video filmed by X user Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division shows new high-angle aerial helicopter footage from “Trooper 6” of the Michigan State Police Aviation Unit, capturing ongoing severe flooding along the Black River, Blake Lake, and the mouth of the Cheboygan River where it flows into Mullett Lake.

The footage is presented as an 86-second compilation with real-time flight telemetry overlays, including GPS coordinates, altitude, speed, heading, a date stamp of April 20, 2026, and camera indicators. It provides a continuous aerial view over flooded terrain.

Scenes show residential homes with red, green, and brown roofs, some partly or fully surrounded by muddy floodwaters. In several areas, snow remains visible on rooftops and ground despite the flooding conditions.

Riverbanks and lakeshores are seen overflowing, with water covering docks, yards, driveways, and roads. Trees and forested areas appear partially submerged, while smaller land sections remain isolated like islands.

Wider shots show swollen waterways merging into Mullett Lake under bright daylight, with sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface. The camera moves steadily, revealing the extent of flooding across rural neighborhoods, fields, and shoreline areas.

The footage was recorded on April 20, 2026, during a major spring flooding event in northern Michigan. The situation was driven by rapid snowmelt combined with heavy rainfall.

Water levels on Black Lake and Mullett Lake remain significantly elevated, several feet above normal summer levels, continuing to strain the Cheboygan Lock and Dam complex and nearby communities. Emergency crews are actively monitoring conditions as response and recovery efforts continue, supported by repeated aerial surveys from the Michigan State Police aviation unit.