LANSING, Mich. (WWJ) -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has sent a letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, requesting a disaster designation for Michigan counties impacted by severe weather in recent weeks.
Whitmer is also requesting the USDA make available any other possible assistance under the Federal Crop Insurance Program or other USDA programs to help Michigan farmers recover from the impact of the weather.
Much of southeastern Michigan is still recovering from heavy rain storms the last weekend in June that left many basements, yards and roadways underwater for days. Crews from FEMA were in the Detroit area Thursday to assess damage as Whitmer requested federal assistance late last month.
Whitmer declared a state of emergency in Wayne County on June 26 following the rains, and has now added Washtenaw, Huron and Ionia Counties to the emergency declaration list, the governor announced Thursday.
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“The residents of these three counties have suffered significant hardship due to the recent severe weather,” Whitmer said. “Adding the counties to the declaration commits available state resources to help the communities as they rebuild and recover.”
By declaring a state of emergency in those counties, the state can now make available all state resources in cooperation with local response and recovery efforts.
“All three added counties declared a local state of emergency activating local emergency response and recovery plans,” the state said in a press release. “By requesting a governor’s declaration, these counties and their communities have determined local resources are insufficient to address the situation and state assistance is required to protect public health, safety and property to lessen or avert the threat of an emergency. “
Earlier this spring, farmers across the state had to deal with unseasonably late freezing temperatures that created a substantial disruption to crops during an important development time.
Now the flooding has again put farmers in a tough spot, prompting the governor to ask for assistance from the USDA.
“Our hardworking Michigan farmers are once again facing challenges due to weather following some of the toughest years in recent memory,” Whitmer said. “From freezing temperatures to flooding, many of our producers are finding themselves in the midst of yet another difficult growing season. A disaster designation for impacted counties would provide some much-needed support to Michigan farmers.”