LANSING, Michigan (CBS DETROIT/AP) — Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer asked President Joe Biden on Wednesday to declare a major disaster in Otsego County, where an EF-3 tornado hit Gaylord on May 20.
The storm with winds of 225.31 kilometers per hour killed two people and injured 44 others, officials said. It destroyed homes and businesses, causing millions of dollars in property damage.
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“We are doing everything in our power to ensure all assistance is available to the people of Gaylord as quickly as possible,” Whitmer said in a press release.
A disaster declaration would make a wide range of federal assistance available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which will review Whitmer’s application.
Whitmer said he has applied for supplemental federal assistance in the form of individual assistance to help eligible residents. If federal aid is granted, assistance could include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help people and businesses recover from the tornado’s effects.
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“Without significant assistance from the federal government, residents will experience financial hardship for years as they attempt to repair and restore their damaged homes to pre-disaster condition, repair or replace mechanical and electrical systems, and replace personal belongings,” Whitmer said in his report. letter to Biden.
Last month, FEMA responded to Whitmer’s request for a joint preliminary damage assessment to gather information on affected communities and collect estimated response and recovery costs with a focus on the number of homes damaged, extent of insurance coverage, displaced individuals and threats. to health and safety.
FEMA says the state has 30 days after the initial disaster to apply for federal assistance.
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