Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has delcared the city of Grand Rapids as a state of emergency following another week of winter weather and ice that left thousands without power and seeking warmth. The declaration means they city can now receive state funds and resources to aid in efforts to clean up the mess.
Ice mixed with winds that topped 50 miles per hour last week left 42,000 residents without power across the greater Grand Rapids area. The city estimates 500 power lines were knocked out, and over a hundred tress fell to the ground. As a result, the City opened its Emergency Operations Center on Thursday morning to manage its response to the storms. The center remains open 24 hours a day.
Mayor Bliss issued this statement Sunday evening,
“Our current services are deployed at full capacity. However, they are not sufficient to meet the significant needs across our city.”
And here we go again.
The news comes as the National Weather Service is projecting an ice storm to hit West Michigan Monday evening into Tuesday morning bringing the threat once again of additional power outages and school closings across the area, while a separate winter storm is projected to arrive later in the week.