WASHINGTON, D.C. – Michigan’s congressional delegation told Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D- MI) they’re ready to support the state if they need any help following last week’s ice storm. The storm caused heavy damage and mass power outages.
The historic ice storm hit parts of the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan. The damage caused one-hundred thousand power outages.
“That was a mess,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R- MI). “It was unbelievable of what the weight of the ice did to telephone poles and snapping trees and all of that.”
Congressman Bergman toured the area recently.
“Let me give a shout out to all of the emergency management folks, the law enforcement, just the people looking out for others,” said Rep. Bergman. “I’m very proud of all the first and second responders if you will up in Northern Michigan, up in the Eastern U.P.”
Congressman Bergman and Michigan’s Senators Elissa Slotkin (D- MI) and Gary Peters (D- MI) sent a letter to the Governor saying they’re ready to support a state request for federal assistance.
Governor Whitmer issued a state of emergency for 12 counties immediately following the storms, which kicked off all state resources for response and recovery efforts. About a week ago, the Governor signed an executive order declaring an energy emergency in the U.P. after the storms closed the Mackinac Bridge multiple times, which prevented commercial fuel trucks from crossing. The executive order aims to expedite delivery of fuel and other critical supplies to the impacted areas.
Congressman Bergman and Michigan’s Senators said if the response and recovery needs exceed the capacity of state and local resources, they’re ready to help.
“The state of Michigan has stepped up its efforts,” said Rep. Bergman. “We, the Michigan delegation, are kind of using the model of the Father’s Day storm up in Houghton in 2018 to request federal funding and we are pushing that so we will see how that works. Overall, the maximum amount of power that could’ve been restored has been restored already because of the coordinated effort to clean up and then put the power poles back up.”
