(WWJ) -- Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will be touring flood-damaged areas around Detroit today following heavy storms over the weekend.
Speaking live on WWJ this morning, the governor said that she’s coordinating with local officials and the federal government to provide aid for those affected by the flooding.
“We’re on the ground,” Whitmer said about surveying the damage. “The one thing we cannot control of course is the forecast, and it looks like we’re going to get more precipitation, and so at this juncture, we’re just very tentative about what we’re encouraging people to do. Stay vigilant, watch the weather, and if there is sitting water, please do not drive into it.”
Whitmer, who declared a state of emergency over last week’s torrential storms, also noted that improvements to the area’s infrastructure are “absolutely necessary" in order to avoid recurring flooding events in the region.
“I came into office, I proposed a big infrastructure overhaul in Michigan and a big investment in it. The legislature didn’t embrace it and didn’t counter with anything, so we move forward on what we can do unilaterally, which is the bonding projects you’re seeing across the state,” Whitmer said. “These recessed freeways in the midst of climate change that is real and under investment infrastructure, we’re seeing this play out across the country.”
“Michigan’s not unique,” she continued, “but our job is to try to solve it here in Michigan and not continue to try to get some partnership out of the legislature because this is a problem for all of us. It’s about safety, it’s about our commerce, it’s about our economy, and it’s so critical that we have long-term solutions.”
While Whitmer has requested FEMA assistance for the thousands of distressed Michiganders dealing with damage and power outages across the state, the governor was reluctant to comment on calling in the National Guard for help.
Instead, she said the state is working with local officials to “triage the crisis,” including area police chiefs, Wayne County Executive Warren Evans, and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan.
“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment and we’ve requested FEMA assistance and I’ve declared an disaster,” she said. “We may be amending it as we get more information in terms of how large of an area and how distressed folks are feeling so we can get resources into Michigan from the federal government.”
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In the meantime, Whitmer encourages residents to avoid wading into any standing water, to document their damage, and to only dial the 211 crisis hotline if you are in an acute situation.
“People are suffering, this is going to be hard,” she said. “Anyone who has had damage like this knows even when the water recedes, the work’s not over. Some of this is waste water, other is sewage. It’s a very dangerous situation for some, so to document and not wade into the water until we have an idea of what it is. We just want people to be smart and stay safe and get information before you take any action.”