In July, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) denied a disaster relief request for Southwest Michigan. Governor Gretchen Whitmer submitted the request after tornadoes and other storms struck the area on May 7.
The state has until September 21 to appeal the decision. In an effort to win that appeal, the City of Portage is gathering data and damage assessments to support it.
The city sent out 800 letters to property owners requesting details on damage costs.
Adam Herringa, the city’s chief operating officer, said about two dozen people responded to the letters.
“Our neighbors are hurting, our community is hurting,” Herringa said.
“We've got to continue to try to convince FEMA that our community receive the same consideration that other communities do across the country when a disaster strikes.”
Herringa said the first set of responses were forwarded to the Michigan State Police last week. MSP serves as the state’s emergency management agency and is working to provide a more comprehensive picture of the destruction for the state’s appeal.
Herringa called FEMA’s decision to deny the governor’s request for disaster relief “disappointing.” He also said the rules to declare an event a natural disaster are “nebulous.”
“It's one thing to see tornado damage on The Weather Channel. It's another to just drive down the street and you see it impacting the very heart of the town you call home.”
Herringa would like more property owners to get involved in the effort. He said the city sent the letters to the last known address and it’s been hard to find property owners who were forced to move when their homes were destroyed.
Herringa said the public can help by contacting friends and family displaced by the storm.
“If there's a listener out there who knows of someone who is in need please have them reach out to our office," Herringa said, by calling 269-329-4400 or sending an email to citymanager@portagemi.gov.
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