Letter to the Hon. Stephanie Pollack, Acting Administrator Federal Highway Administration - Urging Federal Highway Administration for $50M to Strengthen Flood Prevention Infrastructure

Letter

Dear Acting Administrator Pollack:

As members of the Michigan Congressional delegation, we write to express our support
for the Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) urgent request for $50 million for
resiliency funds as part of the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief (ER)
program, to improve pump station generators.

Since June 25th, numerous cities across Southeast Michigan have suffered widespread
damage as a result of heavy rainfalls, severe flooding, and tornados. The disaster has caused
extensive damage to homes, personal belongings, and mechanical and electrical systems,
disrupted businesses and transportation, and endangered the lives of residents. The flooding,
which took the lives of two individuals in Wayne County, continues to affect these residents
daily as they clean-up, assess the damage, and try to rebuild.

Our State and Local officials, and first responders have responded quickly to the
immediate aftermath of this crisis, but additional federal support is necessary to address the
significant impact that this disaster has had on our communities and prevent future disasters. As
a result, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a State of Emergency for Wayne, Washtenaw,
Huron, and Ionia counties.

As we have discovered, many of these areas rely on pumps to prevent water from
collecting on roadways, however these pumps were insufficient in containing the massive
rainfall due to power failures -- leading to widespread flooding, vehicles destroyed, and road
closures. These closures have had a significant disruptive impact on our communities,
businesses, and local economy despite the valiant efforts of State and Local officials to maintain
two-way traffic in the aftermath of this crisis. One of the nation's main highway arteries that
connects cities and commerce across the upper Midwest, Interstate 94, was severely affected and
sections were shutoff for weeks. And this flooding is not new--it happens regularly and will
likely continue.

While MDOT has taken active measures to alleviate repeated issues, additional support is
required to ensure the continued operation of pump stations during future large-scale weather
events. These requested funds would make long-term repairs and investments in our
infrastructure to prevent future flooding and protect the lives, livelihood, and property of
Michigan residents. Many of those affected by these storms have been displaced, are suffering from exacerbated health risks, or are bearing significant financial burden from damages and
limited insurance coverage. Substantive improvements, like addressing the need for improved
pump station generators, would significantly curtail the potential impact of future storms in the
region.

Source