September 17, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2026
Contact: press@michigan.gov
Gov. Whitmer Approves Nearly $7 Million in Public Assistance Funding to Help Communities Recover from Disasters
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer approved nearly $7 million in assistance for multiple communities impacted by severe spring and winter storms, flooding, tornadoes, and a water main break. The reimbursement funds have been made available through the state’s Disaster and Emergency Contingency Fund (DECF), which provides financial assistance to local governments that exhausted local resources while responding to and recovering from a disaster or emergency, when federal funding is not available.
“When disaster strikes, local communities are the first to respond. We are committed to making sure they have the resources they need to recover,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “These funds help communities respond, restore critical services, and rebuild after recent disasters. Michiganders have been through a lot in the last few years, but we are strong and we will get through this together.”
The funding is part of a Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 budget appropriation. The announcement follows Governor Whitmer's FY27 budget, which included an additional $10 million deposit into DECF to help support disaster response and recovery efforts across Michigan.
“Maintaining a strong state public assistance fund is essential to ensuring Michigan communities have access to critical support when disasters overwhelm local resources,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police and state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. “Whether it's severe storms, flooding, tornadoes, or other emergencies, disasters can place significant and unexpected costs on local governments. Having these funds available allows communities to respond, recover, and rebuild without leaving a lasting financial burden that could affect services to local residents down the road.”
As part of this allocation, $1,970,861 will be awarded to Allegan County, Baraga County, and the City of Lansing for costs related to severe weather in May 2025. A powerful storm system brought tornadoes, straight-line winds, heavy rainfall, and flash flooding to portions of Allegan County and the City of Lansing. The storms produced 11 confirmed tornadoes across Lower Michigan. In the Upper Peninsula, a separate heavy rainfall event in Baraga County dropped up to four inches of rain overnight, causing flash flooding and significant damage to public infrastructure.
Houghton and Ontonagon counties will be awarded $1,623,255 after a strong system of severe storms in July 2025 produced heavy rainfall of up to four inches over a four-hour period in the Western Upper Peninsula causing significant damage to roads and related structures throughout the counties.
Branch, Cass, and St. Joseph counties will receive $547,944 to help cover costs associated with the severe storms and tornadoes that struck southwest Michigan in March 2026. The storms produced four tornadoes that damaged or destroyed homes and businesses, overturned vehicles, and caused widespread tree damage. Four people lost their lives, including a 12-year-old in Cass County and three adults in Union City.
$223,986 will be awarded to Oakland County for the May 2026 Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) 42-inch transmission main rupture which caused widespread loss of water pressure and service. to several communities.
$709,225 will be awarded to Alcona, Alpena, Delta, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Roscommon, and Wexford counties across the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula. The region was impacted by a severe winter storm in March 2026 that brought heavy snowfall, damaging ice accumulation, and high winds. The storm caused widespread power outages affecting homes, businesses, and hospitals, while the weight of ice and snow damaged structures throughout the region. Hazardous travel conditions and power disruptions also made it difficult to deliver home heating fuel to affected communities during the event.
A total of $1,924,692 will be allocated to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) to meet the state's 25% cost-share requirement under the FEMA Public Assistance major disaster declaration for costs incurred by state agencies during the 2026 Cheboygan Dam and statewide flooding disaster.
Governor Whitmer has also approved DECF assistance for jurisdictions that were not eligible for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Public Assistance program following severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding that impacted 49 Michigan counties from April 10–21, 2026.
DECF awards can be applied toward the eligible costs of response and recovery efforts from a disaster or emergency, including items such as overtime for public employees, contracts used during the response, shelter supplies, gasoline used during the response, and repair of public buildings and infrastructure.
For more information on how to prepare before, during and after an emergency or disaster, visit MIReady and follow MSP/EMHSD on X and Facebook.
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