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Gov. Whitmer Declares State of Emergency for Wayne County Due to Widespread Flooding
May 03, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2019
Gov. Whitmer Declares State of Emergency for Wayne County Due to Widespread Flooding
. – Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is declaring a state of emergency for Wayne County in response to the county’s request for state assistance to address the aftermath of this week’s heavy rainfall and flooding. Whitmer will formally sign the declaration Friday morning.LANSING, Mich
“I want to commend the first responders, volunteers and residents who have pulled together to respond to the devastation caused by the damaging rain and flood waters,” said Whitmer. “The state is committed to do all it can to speed the recovery of the affected communities in Wayne County.”
By declaring a state of emergency, Whitmer has made available all state resources in cooperation with local response and recovery efforts in the designated area. The declaration authorizes the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) to coordinate state efforts above and beyond what MSP/EMHSD has already been doing in conjunction with local agencies.
“My staff has been working with Wayne County officials since the heavy rains struck the area earlier this week,” said Capt. Emmitt McGowan, deputy state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and commander of the MSP/EMHSD. “We will continue to partner with the county to ensure they receive the needed resources to respond and recover from this incident.”
On April 30 and May 1, heavy rainfall caused widespread flooding in Wayne County, damaging infrastructure and private property. The county formally requested assistance on May 2.
The county of Wayne declared a local state of emergency on May 2, which activates local emergency response and recovery plans. By requesting a governor’s declaration, the county has determined local resources are insufficient to address the situation and state assistance is required to protect the health, safety and property to lessen or avert the threat of a crisis.
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