Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in the cities of Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo and five Lower Peninsula counties Friday.
That brings the total number of counties under states of emergency to 38 — nearly half of Michigan's 83 counties.
"Residents throughout the state have experienced prolonged rainfall, rapid snowmelt, straight-line winds, or tornadoes causing widespread flooding, elevated river levels, and damaged roads, homes, and property," Whitmer said in a statement announcing the new emergency declarations.
"This declaration will help these areas with recovery efforts as they work to clean up after severe weather damaged homes, roads, and businesses," Whitmer said.
Impassible roads have made rescue and evacuation operations difficult, Whitmer said, and several dams are under threat as rivers in the state have continued rise.
"Additional rainfall is expected in the coming days, increasing the risk of flooding. This severe weather poses a significant threat of widespread injury and displacement of residents," said Whitmer.
The governor said there is some hope ahead: "The forecast for next week is looking better, which should provide some breathing room for first responders, but we aren't out of the woods yet."
The emergency declarations began with Cheboygan County on April 10, as snowmelt and heavy rains combined and threatened to overtop the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex. On Wednesday, the governor expanded the declarations to 32 counties, and added another five, plus two cities, on Friday.
The full list of areas in which Whitmer has declared a state of emergency due to April's severe weather, in alphabetical order, is:
- Alcona
- Allegan
- Alpena
- Ann Arbor (city)
- Antrim
- Arenac
- Barry
- Benzie
- Charlevoix
- Clare
- Crawford
- Eaton
- Emmet
- Grand Traverse
- Gratiot
- Iosco
- Jackson
- Kalamazoo
- Kalamazoo (city)
- Kalkaska
- Lake
- Leelanau
- Manistee
- Mecosta
- Menominee
- Missaukee
- Montcalm
- Montmorency
- Muskegon
- Newaygo
- Oceana
- Ogemaw
- Oscoda
- Osceola
- Presque Isle
- Roscommon
- Saginaw
- Shiawassee
- Wexford
