MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — State leaders have surveyed damage left behind from storms that hit Muskegon County on June 25. Hundreds of homes were damaged by the strong winds. In some areas, wind speeds reached 70 mph. The damage left some homes completely unlivable, and residents wondering what to do next.
"We were able to talk to some residents that were out cleaning up still and recovering from these storms, and we were able to see some of the damage firsthand that some residents are facing,” Michigan Representative from the 87th District Will Snyder said.
Snyder was one of the state leaders who toured the damage in Muskegon County. Downed trees and branches scattered across some streets left 50% of roads in the county impassible.
New data reported to the Muskegon County Emergency Management shows 238 homes were damaged, with 18 considered no longer livable and 58 homes with "severe damage."
After storms left residents with significant damage on June 27, Muskegon County declared a state of emergency and is now awaiting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's (D) approval, which would then have to be signed and approved by the President in order for disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to become available.
“Hopefully what will become available is potential resources for things that insurance may not cover for damage or clean up,” Snyder said. "This may potentially include small business loans for businesses that may have been directly affected, maybe not by storm damage but by roads being impassable and people unable to get to a location or to a business for a stretch of multiple days."
Snyder said those impacted by the storm damage can report the damage using this survey, which ultimately helps things move quicker with the process of the state of emergency declaration.
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