PORTAGE, Mich. — The City of Portage was struck by an EF-2 tornado on May 7, with a preliminary damage assessment survey showing there were nearly 600 structures damaged.
After the storm, Governor Gretchen Whitmer requested a Presidential Disaster Declaration to help provide federal assistance to southwest Michigan communities affected by the tornadoes.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) completed an assessment and denied Whitmer's request.
FEMA said the initial damage assessment didn't meet the threshold required for federal disaster assistance.
The denial granted Michigan 30 days to appeal the decision. Then, the deadline was extended to Sept. 21, 2024.
To support the appeal, the Michigan State Police and Michigan's emergency management agency gathered additional data to show how much destruction the tornadoes left behind.
To help with this task, the City of Portage sent letters to 800 properties requesting detailed reports on damage costs.
On Thursday, the City of Portage submitted additional information collected from property owners to the state.
The hope is that the data will help to provide a clearer, more accurate assessment of the total cost of destruction the tornado created, proving the need for federal support.
"We are committed to doing everything in our power to secure the assistance our community needs to recover fully," said City Manager Pat McGinnis. "The additional data we have provided will give the state the necessary tools to make a strong appeal to FEMA, and we remain hopeful that this will result in a positive outcome."
The City of Portage will provide updates on the situation as they become available.