MARQUETTE COUNTY, MI— Marquette County authorities have declared a local state of emergency due to flooding, and they’re asking Governor Gretchen Whitmer to add the county to the statewide emergency list.
Marquette County Board Chair Joe Derocha says snow melt and multiple rounds of heavy rain have swollen rivers and resulted in the flooding of low-lying areas. He says as of Friday morning, the snowpack in the north-central portion of the county still contained 16 inches of water, while other parts contained 5 to 12 inches.
The county is asking the state to supplement local response and recovery efforts as follows:
- Aerial assessment of critical infrastructure, including dams and bridges
- Engineers to evaluate bridge integrity along flooded rivers
- Personnel and equipment to remove debris from bridges
- The Michigan DNR to allow local fire equipment displaced by flooding to stage at the Gwinn office
- Michigan State Police to provide coordination of voluntary organizations
Officials say flooding and continued melting are expected for the foreseeable future.
