The state and federal authorities are knocking on doors of homes and businesses across 12 counties this week in northern Michigan to survey damage from the ice storm.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already requested a presidential emergency disaster declaration for the ice storm. If granted, that would immediately give $5 million to cover the state's emergency response effort.
But for more federal assistance, the governor needs an assessment documenting the damage to private and public property. Earlier this week, Whitmer asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an extension to buy more time to complete that process and a request a major disaster declaration.
"Based on the information that the local officials have gathered, then we go out and put our eyes on the damage and verify that damage," said Lauren Thompson-Phillips, with the Michigan State Police and Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division.
"We will not be knocking on every single door affected, but that doesn't mean, that just because someone doesn't get a knock on their door, their damage isn't going into the bigger picture as well," she added.
Thompson-Phillips said there needs to be at least $19 million worth of damage to public resources to request a major disaster declaration.
"On the public assistance side, at least, we are thinking that we will meet that threshold. I would be surprised if we didn't," Thompson-Phillips said. "On the individual side, it's just too early to say."
Thompson-Phillips said authorities will be surveying the damage to public resources like roads and buildings next week. This will also include the municipal costs incurred to clean up debris.
Residents can still report damage from the ice storm through an online survey.
"That helps us paint the better picture for the scale of this disaster," Thompson-Phillips said. "Our goal is to gather as much information as possible so we can get residents as much help as we can."
In a separate effort, the state legislature is also reviewing a house bill to allocate $75 million toward recovery efforts in the region.
