Joanne Williams
Editor
(Courtesy photo: The situation off River Street in Eaton Rapids the weekend of April 18-19.)
Eaton County Board of Commissioners Chairperson Jim Mott declared a local “state of emergency” under Section 10 of 1976 PA 390, as amended, due to the impact of heavy rain and storms on local infrastructure, on April 17.
The County response and recovery elements of the Eaton County Emergency Operations Plan have been activated, and local resources are being fully utilized to identify and address infrastructure failures.
Part of the County’s declaration included sending a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer requesting State assistance for the County and other eligible applicants, such as the Eaton County Road Commission and local units of government, who are currently struggling to cover the costs of these storm events. The governor approved the request.
“More and more, local governments across the State are struggling with infrastructure expenses facing communities. We are requesting the State to assist us in our response,” said Mott.
The request was approved by Witmer the same day, adding seven additional counties and cities to the ongoing state of emergency declaration. This action will support impacted communities in their recovery efforts as cleanup continues from severe weather that damaged homes, roads, and businesses.
In his seven and a half years as Eaton County Emergency Management director, Ryan Wilkinson has seen three governor and two presidential emergency requests.
The two presidential were one for COVID 19, the other in August 2023 for severe weather including winds, tornadoes and flooding.
The state emergency assistance “brings to bear all state resources,” Wilkinson said, especially for assistance with road washouts.
The process does take some time, with a master damage inventory performed first, followed by more residential assistance.
