KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Kent County Board of Commissioners Chair Stan Stek declared a local state of emergency for the county on Tuesday.
The declaration was made after considering the extent of the damage from the storms.
Now that the county is in a state of emergency, it will become eligible for state and federal funding to aid in the cleanup efforts.
A letter was also sent to the State of Michigan requesting both a state-level State of Emergency and a Federal State of Emergency for Kent County to be issued.
"These declarations could assist Kent County in obtaining additional resources for continued damage assessment and debris removal," Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg wrote in a letter to Kent County Residents Tuesday.
While much of the power restoration complete and major debris removed, there is still a lot more that needs to be cleaned up. Almost 200 buildings were damaged during the storms, ranging from businesses, to warehouses and homes.
The local state of emergency will remain in effect for seven days and takes effect immediately.
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