(LANSING) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency for St. Joseph, Branch and Cass Counties to assist with response and recovery efforts related to Friday's tornado outbreak.
Whitmer says this state of emergency declaration will ensure that every state resource is available to assist in recovery efforts from the devastating tornadoes on Friday. She says the entire state is wrapping its arms around Three Rivers, Union City, Edwardsburg, and everywhere in between. Whitmer says our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones and the Michiganders who were injured.
On March 6, multiple tornadoes touched down across the region, causing widespread damage, injuries and loss of life. Three people were killed when an EF-3 tornado struck Union City in Branch County and 12 others were injured. According to the National Weather Service, it is the deadliest tornado in Michigan since 1980.
The tornado that struck Three Rivers was an EF-2.
Another tornado in Cass County claimed one life.
By declaring a state of emergency, the Governor has authorized the use of all available state resources to assist local response and recovery operations in the affected counties. The MSP 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 (Public Act 390 of 1976, as amended). The funding 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.