Executive Order 2022-3: Declaration of State of Emergency

On May 11, 2022, parts of Northern Michigan were hit by a significant weather system. The City of Big Rapids, located in Mecosta County, was inundated with four-and-a-half inches of rain within a two-hour period, causing localized flooding and damage to roads, bridges, and the campus of Ferris State University. Mecosta County declared a local state of emergency on May 12.

Local officials took several actions to respond to the situation, including but not limited to activating the disaster or emergency response and recovery aspects of their emergency operations plans and issuing emergency public information. Despite local response efforts, the City of Big Rapids experienced significant infrastructure damage, including two culverts that need repairs because of washout and slope erosion, one bridge that requires debris removal, one bridge that needs replacement, and one street that collapsed and must be repaired. In addition, the campus of Ferris State University incurred substantial clean-up costs. State assistance and other outside resources are necessary to effectively respond to and recover from the impacts of this emergency, protect public health, safety, and property, and lessen or avert the threat of more severe and lasting harm.

Section 1 of article 5 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963 vests the executive power of the State of Michigan in the governor. Under the Emergency Management Act, 1976 PA 390, as amended, MCL 30.403(4), “[t]he governor shall, by executive order or proclamation, declare a state of emergency if he or she finds that an emergency has occurred or that the threat of an emergency exists.”

Therefore, acting under the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and Michigan law, including the Emergency Management Act, 1976 PA 390, as amended, MCL 30.401 to 30.421, I order the following:

1. A state of emergency is declared for Mecosta County.
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.
3. 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 July 22, unless extended as provided by the Emergency Management Act.

Click to view the full PDF of the executive order.