News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says hello to a Meijer employee during a visit to Alpena on April 3. Whitmer was in town to tour damage from the ice storm that crippled the area. On Friday, the governor requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration from President Trump.

ALPENA — On Friday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer officially asked the federal government for help in response to the recent ice storm that knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses in northern Michigan.

Whitmer’s request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration for the State of Michigan, 12 northern counties, and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, who have been decimated by the storm that knocked out power and communications and left hundreds of miles of roads blocked by fallen trees and debris.

The move comes two days after Whitmer met with President Trump and briefed him on the storm, the damage it caused, and its impact on residents.

If approved by the president, the declaration would authorize up to $5 million in immediate public assistance to support emergency efforts, including debris management needs.

“Following historic ice storms in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, we are bringing an all-hands-on-deck approach to help get the power back on, clear roads, and keep people safe,” the governor said in a press release Friday. “I declared a state of emergency, deployed the national guard, and took key steps to expedite recovery. But, our work is just beginning. I met with President Trump and submitted a request for a federal emergency declaration that will support local communities and counties with more resources as they recover from this devastating storm. We’ll continue coordinating closely with first-responders, local communities, and Michiganders on the ground. Michiganders are strong, and we’ll get through this together.”

An Emergency Declaration does not provide Federal Emergency Management Agency Individual Assistance for residents or Public Assistance for local and tribal governments. Also, the request does not impact or delay the ongoing process to pursue a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, which is required to access those longer-term recovery programs.

To evaluate eligibility for that broader assistance, the State of Michigan will conduct Joint Preliminary Damage Assessments with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration beginning the week of April 20.

These assessments will determine whether the extent of damage meets federal thresholds for a major disaster declaration. Based on the results, the state may request assistance to individual households, which would provide direct help to homeowners and renters, as well as public assistance, which could reimburse local governments and tribal agencies for response costs, debris removal, and repair of damaged infrastructure.

Congressman Jack Bergman, R-Cheboygan, said he is glad Whitmer met and communicated with Trump and continues to do so as the situation on the ground in northern Michigan evolves and changes. Bergman said he has also been in the ear of the president to keep him updated and to help gain access to help for residents and businesses who need it now.

“I’m grateful Governor Whitmer had the opportunity to speak with the President in the Oval Office and hope she used the opportunity to further communicate what we already have said to him about the devastation to our northern Michigan communities from the historic ice storm,” Bergman said. “While we await the assessments from the counties, my colleagues and I stand ready to support any and all requests for federal assistance related to these storms.”

State Rep. Cam Cavitt, R-Cheboygan, echoed Bergman in a statement on Friday.

“This emergency declaration from President Trump would be a saving grace for so many,” Cavitt said in the statement. “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.”

Whitmer, as well as Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, visited Alpena last week to tour the widespread damage of the storm and to offer help at the state level. Bergman visited Cheboygan, Atlanta, and Gaylord to get a look at the storm’s aftermath.

As of Friday, U.S. Senators for Michigan, Gary Peters or Elissa Slotkin, have not visited Northeast Michigan to assess the damage, but have pledged their support for any federal assistance that Whitmer may request.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.