KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Kent County Emergency Management wants to spread the word about federal assistance that could help those who experienced property damage during a severe weather outbreak last summer.
President Joe Biden declared a major natural disaster in Michigan and ordered federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas that were affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding dating back to August 2023.
During those storms, the National Weather Service confirmed that seven tornadoes had touched down across the state of Michigan. The severe weather left five people dead, trees downed, roofs torn off buildings and hundreds of thousands of people without power.
This action makes Federal funding available to those who were affected in the counties of Eaton, Ingham, Ionia, Kent, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, and Wayne.
Some of the assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs that will help both individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
"What's unique about this storm was that it wasn't just a tornado where we had maybe a 150-yard wide path of damage. We did have that through Comstock Park through Alpine and Plainfield townships. But the more widespread part was the straight-line winds of it. And we saw very similar damage in those areas as well. And that extended all the way from Northwestern Kent County, all the way into Ionia County and beyond," Kent County Emergency Management Coordinator Matt Groesser said.
The most common way that people are going to see financial relief is if they had damage in or around their property that wasn't covered by insurance.
"If you are fully insured, and you had damage to your home and the insurance company has worked out some arrangement with you to cover that, this probably won't be for you," Groesser said. "However, if you had a bunch of trees down on your property that required contractors to come in with heavy equipment and remove them, and your insurance company indicated to you at the time that that was not part of what you were covered for, then this may be able to help reimburse some of those costs."
FEMA Emergency Declaration Area
How to apply
If you experienced property damage from the severe weather between Aug. 24 through Aug. 26 in 2023, you can apply for disaster relief.
Start your application process at DisasterAssistance.gov, on the FEMA app, or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available to assist those who may require language support.
You will need to have the following information ready when you apply with FEMA:
- A current phone number where you can be contacted.
- Your address at the time of the disaster and the address where you are now staying.
- Your social security number (or the social security number of a minor child in your household, if you’re applying on their behalf).
- A general list of damage and losses.
- Banking information if you choose direct deposit.
- If insured, the policy number or the agent and/or the company name.
If you have already made repairs, FEMA says you should still apply. Their inspectors are trained to recognize damage even after it has been repaired. FEMA also suggests that you be prepared to show repair receipts, photos and any other disaster-related documentation.
For even more information about the disaster recovery operation in Michigan, visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4757.
Don't wait to apply
The window to apply for FEMA assistance isn't open forever.
From the day President Biden made the disaster declaration on Feb. 8, 2024, you have 60 days to apply.
Need more help?
FEMA will be establishing a Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) in the area where residents can go if they have questions about eligibility or the application process.
Kent County will share more information as soon as they nail down details.
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