Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asks Trump for disaster declaration after Southwest Michigan tornadoes

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Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has asked President Donald Trump to declare a major disaster to help communities recover after four tornadoes touched down in Southwest Michigan early last month.
Four tornadoes, with strengths ranging from EF-0 to EF-3, touched down on March 6, according to a release from Whitmer’s office.
“These tornadoes brought heartbreaking loss and widespread destruction to Southwest Michigan,” said Whitmer. “Michigan families have lost loved ones, homes and businesses. I declared a state of emergency, but our work is just beginning. As we wrap our arms around the affected communities, we are requesting federal assistance to ensure those affected have the resources they need to recover. Let’s keep working together to keep people safe and help Michiganders rebuild.”

The areas most severely affected included communities near Edwardsburg in Cass County, the vicinity of Three Rivers in St. Joseph County, and locations along the northern shore of Union Lake in Union City, Branch County.
Several homes and businesses were destroyed, cars were overturned, and the storm caused outages throughout the region.
Four people, including a 12-year-old from Cass County and three Union City adults, were killed.
“Michigan’s Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties have shown remarkable resilience, but these communities need the additional support that a federal disaster declaration provides,” said Sen. Peters. “Governor Whitmer and I are working hard to ensure that Michiganders get the assistance they deserve as they work to rebuild and recover from these devastating storms.”

Whitmer requested activation of the Individual Assistance (IA) program for these three counties.
The governor has asked for all components of the Individual Assistance (IA) program to be made available in Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties.
On March 17, local, state, and federal officials carried out a joint Preliminary Damage Assessment to examine and confirm the extent of damage in the hardest-hit areas.
Their evaluation showed that the destruction met the requirements for requesting federal aid, according to the release.
If approved, the IA program could provide financial help for temporary housing and home repairs, offer low-interest loans for uninsured losses, and include additional support programs to assist residents and businesses in their recovery.

The request from Governor Whitmer will now be evaluated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which will make a recommendation to President Trump on whether to issue a disaster declaration. The president will make the final determination.