Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Tuscola County on Tuesday, April 28, due to extreme flooding caused by recent severe weather events.
As Tuscola County joins the list of affected areas, Governor Whitmer notes that 41 Michigan counties and three municipalities are currently facing damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure from recent severe weather, including historic flooding, tornadoes, and straight-line winds. By declaring a state of emergency, the governor has authorized the use of all available state resources to assist local response and recovery operations in the affected counties.
The governor’s state of emergency declaration also allows eligible communities to seek financial assistance under Section 19 of Michigan’s Emergency Management Act, Public Act 390 of 1976, as amended. The funding helps local governments cover emergency response costs and repair public infrastructure damaged by the storms.
In Tuscola County, widespread flooding has caused severe damage to roads, culverts and bridges, permanently closing one roadway until adequate repairs can be completed. These conditions pose a significant risk of injury and potential displacement for residents in the affected communities.
Communities throughout the state have experienced prolonged rainfall, rapid snowmelt, straight-line winds, or tornadoes causing widespread flooding, elevated river levels, and damaged roads, homes, and property. Impassable roads have made rescue and evacuation operations difficult in many regions and multiple rivers throughout the state have continued to experience rising water levels, threatening the condition of various dams.
Multiple first-responders and other personnel have been working around the clock to address these conditions across the state. The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) is coordinating the state’s emergency response through the SEOC, while MSP troopers are on the ground assisting local emergency response efforts.
For more information about the statewide response visit michigan.gov/aprilstorms.
