Dear Mr. President:
We write in support of Michigan’s Major Disaster declaration request in response to widespread, severe, and repeated flooding between April 10, 2023 and May 14, 2023. The Governor has requested all Public Assistance (PA) programs for Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Marquette, and Ontonagon Counties.
The multiple intense flooding events over this period have caused serious damage across the west-central Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a particularly rural area of the state. For the 6 counties covered under this request, the percentage of people with income below the poverty level, aged 65 and over, and living with a disability are all above the state and national averages. As you know, this makes these communities particularly vulnerable after disasters and increases the need for federal assistance to ensure equitable recovery.
The impacted counties have estimated the disaster has caused over $56 million in response and recovery costs. While only a fraction of these costs are eligible for reimbursement, federal assistance is critical to ensuring that this fiscal strain does not negatively impact the availability of government services for citizens. The per capita indicator for all 6 counties exceeds the current level set by FEMA at $4.44 with some counties greatly exceeding it. For instance, the recovery cost per capita ranges between $167.63 for Gogebic County to $26.00 for Marquette County. The magnitude of damage for these rural communities, which were still recovering from a previous federally-declared flooding event, further underscores the need for federal assistance.
We commend the great work the federal government has done in helping Michigan recover from previous disasters. However, without a federal disaster declaration, Michigan, which has responded to 12 state-level and 2 federal-declared disasters over the past 24 months, will not have the capacity to ensure these communities receive the aid they need to fully recover. We urge your speedy approval of this request.
Source: U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs