7/24/24 - Kalamazoo May Not Get The Help They Were Hoping For

FEMA has denied the Governor's request for disaster relief for communities impacted by severe weather this Spring.

-The Federal Emergency Management Agency sent a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to let her know that the state of Michigan has been denied a request for disaster relief for those communities impacted by severe weather on May 7.

The Governor issued a request to declare a major disaster because of tornadoes that hit Branch, Cass, Kalamazoo, and St. Joseph counties.

One tornado that hit Kalamazoo County and the Portage area, was an EF-2.  It destroyed at least 60 buildings and did major damage to over 125 others.

Branch County said EF-1 and EF-2 tornadoes touched down in Sherwood Township and caused significant damage.

FEMA says that based on the information they had been given, they decided the storm damage was not of such severity and magnitude that went beyond the capabilities of the state, local government and voluntary agencies and that supplemental federal assistance was not necessary.

The communities that were impacted will now have to rethink how they will help those who suffered damage.

The state has 30 days to issue an appeal.