Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A disaster declaration request has been granted for Northern Michigan counties impacted by historic and devastating ice storms.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Wednesday that the U.S. Small Business Administration has granted an administrative disaster declaration for Cheboygan County and the contiguous counties of Charlevoix, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Otsego, and Presque Isle. That unlocks financial assistance to repair or replace property damaged by the storms that knocked out power and communications and left hundreds of miles of roads blocked by fallen trees and debris.

Whitmer said “Northern Michigan was hit hard by this historic ice storm, but we are strong, and we will rebuild together. Every step of the way, we’re working side by side with local leaders and federal partners to deliver real relief, and this SBA declaration will help us get communities and small businesses back on their feet. We’ll keep doing the work, together, until the job is done.”

The SBA disaster assistance program provides low-interest loans for homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private nonprofit organizations to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery and equipment, inventory, and business assets that were damaged or destroyed. The SBA tailors the repayment of each disaster loan to the borrower’s financial capability.

Republican State Representative Cam Cavitt of Cheboygan said “This funding will be critical to help our communities continue to pick up the pieces after the historic ice storm. Nobody alive has ever seen a storm of this magnitude. After blown transformers, fallen power lines, and weeks of power outages, I hope it’s something we never see again. I’m glad the federal government recognized our need and opened the door to additional resources.”

The SBA will establish Disaster Loan Outreach Centers in the impacted areas for one-on-one assistance. Loan applications are also available online or by mail. For additional information on low-interest SBA loans or the application process, visit the MySBA Loan Portal or call 1-800-659-2955.

About the Disaster:

A devastating ice storm crippled much of Northern Michigan with extreme winter weather resulting in severe ice accumulation between March 28 and March 30, 2025. The storm caused widespread, long-term power outages, fuel shortages, communications disruptions, hazardous road conditions, and the accumulation of significant vegetative debris. In several of the impacted counties, 100 percent of electrical customers were without power for extended periods. Damage to both public infrastructure and private property was so severe that the National Weather Service considers this storm one of the most significant ice events ever to impact the region.

On May 16th, Governor Whitmer requested that President Donald Trump declare a major disaster in to support recovery from the ice storm. The governor requested activation of all areas of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance program for the counties of Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, and Presque Isle, as well as the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. She also requested activation of the Public Assistance program for the above counties and tribal nation, in addition to Kalkaska and Mackinac counties. This federal disaster request is still pending.