By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — A state of emergency was officially declared Sunday morning by Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for the counties affected by Friday’s supercell storm and tornadoes.
The state of emergency was officially declared for Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties, which the governor said would help assist with response and recovery efforts at the state level.
“Our entire state is wrapping its arms around Three Rivers, Union City, Edwardsburg, and everywhere in between,” Gov. Whitmer said in a statement. “Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones and the Michiganders who were injured. I will be joining the Michigan State Police today to tour the impacted areas and assess the damage. We will get through this together.”
By declaring a state of emergency, the governor authorized the use of all available state resources to assist local response and recovery operations in the affected counties. The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (EMHSD) is coordinating the state’s emergency response through the State Emergency Operations Center.
The declaration also allows eligible communities to seek financial assistance under Section 19 of Michigan’s Emergency Management Act, which helps local governments cover emergency response costs and repair public infrastructure damaged by the storms.
Additional state and federal disaster assistance programs may also be pursued as damage assessments continue.
“We have been closely coordinating with local and state partners to assess damage and support communities impacted by the severe weather across southwest Michigan,” Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said in a statement. “I’m grateful to the first responders, emergency managers, and public works crews working through the night to keep Michiganders safe. Thank you for your dedication and swift action during this challenging weather.”
“Michigan State Police troopers were among the first to respond when tornadoes touched down in these communities,” Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police (MSP) and state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said in a statement. “I am proud of the work our enlisted and civilian members are doing alongside local partners as MSP continues to support response and recovery efforts. Our teams are coordinating through the State Emergency Operations Center and working around the clock to ensure all local needs are met.”
Friday’s tornado in Three Rivers was initially rated as an EF-2 by the National Weather Service, with max wind speeds of 130 miles per hour, while the tornado in Union City was initially clocked as an EF-3. Three people were killed in Union City, while another was killed as a result of a tornado in Edwardsburg, making it the deadliest tornado system in Michigan since 1980.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
