KENT COUNTY, Mich. — On Thursday President Joe Biden declared that a major natural disaster exists in the State of Michigan.
He 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.
Also available on a cost-sharing basis is Federal funding for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
John F. Boyle of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was selected to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App.
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