North Michigan News

State Representative Cam Cavitt has expressed his support for Governor Gretchen Whitmer's request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration following severe storms that struck Northern Michigan. The request, aimed at aiding recovery efforts, comes in the aftermath of storms that have left significant damage and power outages across the region.

Rep. Cavitt, who represents Cheboygan, described the severity of the storms in stark terms: "No one alive has ever seen a storm this bad in Northern Michigan. We’re nearly two weeks out, and there are still more than 10,000 people without power. It took days for gas stations and grocery stores to re-open. We had nursing homes running lifesaving equipment off generators and roads impassable for days. This was nothing short of a living nightmare."

Despite some improvements in basic services, Cavitt emphasized the challenges that lie ahead: "We may be pulling away from the worst of it – a lot of us feel blessed just to be able to fill up at the gas station and stop for some sorely needed groceries – but there is still a mountain of work ahead of us."

He outlined the critical need for federal assistance, noting the economic strain on local communities: "This emergency declaration from President Trump would be a saving grace for so many. Northern Michigan, specifically Northeast Michigan communities, are some of the poorest places in Michigan. Most folks don’t have the money to clean up and repair their properties following these storms. Local governments sometimes struggle to make ends meet in normal years; we don’t have the tax base to take on additional storm recovery costs. This declaration would get our communities the resources we desperately need to get back to normal and truly put this historic storm in the past where it belongs."

The storms have resulted in over 100,000 power outages and have made many roads impassable. Approval of the emergency declaration could provide up to $5 million in immediate public assistance to aid recovery efforts.