Whitmer Declares Disaster for March Ice Storms

Governor Announces Federal Disaster Funding for Northern Michigan

Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently announced that President Donald Trump has approved Michigan’s disaster declaration request for the March ice storm, which caused widespread damage across Northern Michigan, including Mackinac County. The storm led to prolonged power and communication outages, with hundreds of miles of roads blocked by fallen trees and debris.

“Yesterday, I spoke to President Trump who confirmed that communities in Northern Michigan impacted by the historic ice storm damage earlier this year will start to receive federal disaster funding,” said Whitmer. “With this initial support, we can help communities recover costs associated with cleanup efforts. I want to thank the president and our congressional delegation for supporting our request, and I look forward to collaborating further on much-needed additional resources. Michiganders across the state stepped up to help our neighbors, and while other parts of our request remain under review, we will continue advocating together to help Northern Michigan recover and rebuild.”

Representative Jack Bergman (R-1st Congressional District) praised the Trump Administration for its decision. “President Trump’s approval of a Major Disaster Declaration for the counties impacted by March’s devastating ice storm is welcome news,” he said. “I’m grateful to his Administration for working to get this done. This long-awaited decision unlocks critical resources to help our communities recover and rebuild as quickly as possible. It’s been a true team effort - from local agencies to state and federal partners. Northern Michigan is no stranger to tough times - but it’s in moments like these, when our communities rally and move forward together, that the true spirit of Northern Michigan shines brightest.”

The request for the declaration was submitted on May 13 by Gov. Whitmer to the Trump Administration, which included a visit from Whitmer to Washington D.C. to meet with Trump. Michigan Senators Gary Peters (D) and Elissa Slotkin (D) also responded to the news of the disaster declaration approval.

“I’m pleased that funding is coming to Northern Michigan to bolster the ongoing recovery efforts following the ice storm this March,” said Peters. “The State of Michigan and local emergency managers continue to work hard because this job is not finished, and I’ll keep fighting to help our communities get the resources they need to bounce back stronger.”

“This is welcome news and a big step for the many Michiganders who are still recovering from the once-in-a-generation ice storm in Northern Michigan and the U.P. in March,” said Slotkin. “There is still more work ahead, but my office is here to help Michiganders navigate the federal disaster process to rebuild and recover.”

In a joint press release, Peters and Slotkin stated that the National Weather Service has ranked this as one of the most significant ice storms ever recorded in Northern Michigan. State and federal officials estimate the storms caused more than $137 million in immediate response costs.

Available Assistance for Affected Communities

Along with Mackinac County, the FEMA Public Assistance Program will be available to communities in Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Kalkaska, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Kalkaska counties, as well as the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance through several channels:

• Visit www.DisasterAssistance.gov
• Call 800-621-FEMA (3362)
• Use the FEMA App

Those using relay services, such as video relay service, captioned telephone service or others, can provide FEMA with the number for that service.

Additional Resources

For those interested in staying updated, the TV6 livestream will be featured until staff can clip the corresponding story, if available, from broadcasts or other TV6 content. You can subscribe to their YouTube page or download TV6+ to stream the latest local news and weather.