August 15, 2003
August 15, 2003
LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today declared a state of emergency in the following counties: Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne. These counties had previously declared local states of emergency and continue to be impacted by the severe power outage which has affected numerous Michigan communities, other states, and portions of Canada.
“The executive proclamation I signed this morning ensures that we’ll be able to provide rapid access to financial and material assistance for first responders should they need it,” said Granholm. “As local governments continue to monitor the situation, the state of emergency allows us to request federal dollars to assist in the relief effort. I want to emphasize that the declaration is not a cause for alarm, but an important way for the state to manage the immediate health, safety, and security needs of our citizens.”
The emergency proclamation activates the Emergency Management Division (EMD) of the Michigan State Police which creates a central command structure to coordinate the activities of state agencies and to marshal all available resources, including any necessary federal resources. EMD is working closely with counties, local governments, and DTE Energy to restore service to approximately 2 million people without power in Southeast Michigan. In addition, the proclamation declared an energy emergency which allows the Governor to regulate the use and sale of energy resources in the aforementioned counties, if required.
“I’d like to thank all our citizens and the hundreds of people in all branches of government who are literally working in the dark to get Michigan back on line as safely and quickly as possible,” Granholm said.
