State of emergency declared for Gogebic, Houghton Counties

Accelerated snow melt and rapid flooding have brought on a state of emergency declaration for Gogebic and Houghton Counties. Governor Gretchen Whitmer made the declaration Friday.

“Today, I’m declaring a state of emergency in Gogebic and Houghton counties to ensure we can move resources fast and get Michiganders impacted by flash flooding the support they need,” said Governor Whitmer. “We have faced extreme weather events before and we will once again take swift action and coordinate with local stakeholder and emergency responders on the ground to help the community recover and rebuild.”

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula saw severe flash flooding on Tuesday due to packed snow melting. Gogebic and Houghton Counties sustained serious damage from that widespread flooding, including overwhelmed sewer systems and storm water systems, burst earthen dams, culvert and embankment failures, and road washouts.

The declaration of a local state of emergency activates local emergency response and recovery plans. By declaring a state of emergency, Governor Whitmer has made available all state resources in cooperation with local response and recovery efforts in the designated areas. The declaration provides that the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) will coordinate state efforts.