Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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February 20, 2019
EXECUTIVE ORDER
No. 2019-05
Declaration of State of Emergency
This past week several parts of Michigan have experienced severe winter weather. These events caused widespread and extended power outages, hazardous driving conditions, and localized flooding, causing an immediate threat to public health and safety due to exposure to freezing temperatures, structural hazards, exposure to potential contaminants, and increased emergency vehicle response times due to road hazards and inaccessible roadways and bridges.
Among the areas most impacted by this severe winter weather is the county of Ionia. Within the county of Ionia, the city of Portland is experiencing an ongoing compromised operation of its only wastewater treatment facility which is resulting in discharge of raw sewage into the Grand River. The flood impact in the county of Ionia has damaged 25 to 30 homes and businesses due to extensive flooding in areas adjacent to the Grand River. Emergency protective measures to mitigate additional flood damage are needed and still ongoing. The county of Ionia is anticipating additional and potentially extreme flooding due to the presence of ice jams on the Grand River.
Beginning on February 7, 2019, the county of Ionia has taken several actions to cope with the situation, including but not limited to: declaring a local state of emergency; activating the disaster response and recovery aspects for their emergency operations plans; evacuating and providing shelter to affected residents; and issuing emergency public information.
Despite these measures, local resources are insufficient to respond to the extreme flooding under the current conditions. State assistance and other outside resources are necessary to effectively respond to, and recover from, the impacts of flooding.
Under the Emergency Management Act, 1976 PA 390, MCL 30.403(4), "[t]he governor shall, by executive order or proclamation, declare a state of emergency ifhe or she finds that an emergency has occurred or that the threat of an emergency exists." Therefore, acting pursuant to the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and Michigan law, including the Emergency Management Act, 1976 PA 390, MCL 30.401 to 30.421, I order the following:
1. A state of emergency is declared for the county of Ionia.
2. The Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the Department of State Police shall coordinate and maximize all state efforts and may call upon all state departments to utilize available resources to assist in the designated area pursuant to the Michigan Emergency Management Plan.
The state of emergency is terminated at such time as the threats to public health, safety, and property caused by the emergency no longer exist, and appropriate programs have been implemented to recover from the effects of this emergency, but in no case later than March
9, 2019, unless extended as provided by 1976 Public Act 390, as amended.