Bipartisan Michigan Delegation Members Urge President Trump to Issue Federal Disaster Declaration Following Severe Flash Flooding in Four Counties

U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and Representatives John Moolenaar (R-MI), Dan Kildee (D-MI), Fred Upton (R-MI), John Conyers (D-MI), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Mike Bishop (R-MI), Jack Bergman (R-MI), Paul Mitchell (R-MI), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Dave Trott (R-MI), Sander Levin (D-MI), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI) today urged President Trump to approve Governor Snyder’s request for a major disaster declaration following severe flash flooding that affected Bay, Gladwin, Isabella, and Midland counties.  The four counties declared states of emergency, and the damage from the flooding is estimated to be over $100 million. 

“The people of the State of Michigan are resilient, and we commend the work of federal, state, and local officials to promptly assess the damage resulted by the flooding and determine the paths for recovery,” wrote the lawmakers. “We urge you to issue a federal major disaster declaration and to provide the requested assistance so the residents and business owners of these communities can begin to rebuild from this emergency. Thank you for your consideration of our request.”

The text of the letter may be found below, and a PDF is attached. 

July 27, 2017

The President

The White House

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

We are writing in support of Governor Rick Snyder’s request on July 21, 2017 for a major disaster declaration for the State of Michigan as a result of severe flash flooding that affected Bay, Gladwin, Isabella, and Midland counties. This request comes after federal, state, and local officials conducted a Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment in the counties affected and determined that federal assistance was needed.

In late June, heavy rainfall in mid-Michigan resulted in some of the worst flooding the State has seen in recent years. This flooding has had devastating impacts on homes, businesses, agricultural crops, and public infrastructure. Notably, thousands of homes and businesses were flooded, which caused significant damage to foundational structures and electrical and mechanical systems.  Unfortunately, many residents were displaced from their homes. Widespread road closures were also reported across the counties due to washed out thoroughfares and other public infrastructure damage.

The four counties affected declared states of emergency and began quickly assessing the damage, which is estimated to be over $100 million. Federal, state, and local officials working on the ground conducted assessments from July 6-9, and determined the level of damage required federal assistance. As described in the Governor’s request, the recovery efforts will extend beyond the capacity of the state and local governments. The Governor is requesting Individual Assistance from the federal government in an effort to support eligible residents with home repairs and uninsured property losses and assistance to help businesses recover from this disaster.  Additionally, the Governor has requested Hazard Mitigation Assistance statewide to prevent long-term risk to life and property from natural disasters in the future.

The people of the State of Michigan are resilient, and we commend the work of federal, state, and local officials to promptly assess the damage resulted by the flooding and determine the paths for recovery. We urge you to issue a federal major disaster declaration and to provide the requested assistance so the residents and business owners of these communities can begin to rebuild from this emergency. Thank you for your consideration of our request.