After the Federal Emergency Management Agency rejected Michigan’s request for assistance in aiding Upper Peninsula residents it hard by flooding last June, Governor Snyder announced today that the state will cover the $7million in matching funds Upper Peninsula grant recipients are required to pay under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) public assistance program.
June floods caused significant damage to portions of the UP. After President Donald Trump issued a disaster declaration for the damage, Governor Snyder appealed to FEMA for help, however, the agency rejected Snyder’s request, concluding that state and local funds would be enough to handle the losses of homeowners and businesses.
While earlier this month Snyder said the state would split the cost with local Upper Peninsula agencies, he recanted Friday, citing the financial strain that it would place on the various communities. Instead, the state now is covering 100 percent of the cost.
Governor Snyder issued this statement,
“With the state taking on the cost of the entire match, the communities won’t have such a significant burden on their budgets from this natural disaster.”