Alpena is included in a $709,225 state disaster-recovery allocation for seven Michigan counties affected by a severe winter storm in March 2026, according to an announcement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office.

Whitmer approved nearly $7 million in assistance Thursday for communities affected by spring and winter storms, flooding, tornadoes and a water-main break. The money is being provided through Michigan’s Disaster and Emergency Contingency Fund, or DECF, which helps local governments recover when they have exhausted local resources and federal funding is unavailable.

What the Alpena-area allocation covers

The $709,225 award will be distributed across Alcona, Alpena, Delta, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Roscommon and Wexford counties. The counties were affected by a severe winter storm in March 2026 that brought heavy snowfall, damaging ice accumulation and high winds.

The storm caused widespread power outages affecting homes, businesses and hospitals. Ice and snow also damaged structures across the region. Hazardous travel conditions and power disruptions made it difficult to deliver home-heating fuel to affected communities during the storm, according to the governor’s office.

The announcement does not provide a county-by-county breakdown of the $709,225 allocation, so the specific amount designated for Alpena County was not stated.

How Michigan’s disaster fund works

DECF reimbursement funds are available to local governments that used local resources while responding to and recovering from a disaster or emergency. Eligible expenses can include overtime for public employees, response contracts, shelter supplies, gasoline used during emergency operations, and repairs to public buildings and infrastructure.

Whitmer said the funding is intended to help communities restore services and rebuild after disasters.

“When disaster strikes, local communities are the first to respond. We are committed to making sure they have the resources they need to recover,” Whitmer said in the release.

She added that the funding is part of Michigan’s fiscal year 2026 budget appropriation. Her fiscal year 2027 budget also included a proposed additional $10 million deposit into DECF to support disaster response and recovery efforts throughout the state.

Other communities receiving assistance

The latest allocation includes several other major awards tied to earlier disasters:

  • Allegan County, Baraga County and the city of Lansing will receive $1,970,861 for severe weather in May 2025. That storm system produced tornadoes, straight-line winds, heavy rain and flash flooding, including 11 confirmed tornadoes across Lower Michigan.
  • Houghton and Ontonagon counties will receive $1,623,255 after severe storms in July 2025 caused heavy rain and damage to roads and related structures in the western Upper Peninsula.
  • Branch, Cass and St. Joseph counties will receive $547,944 for storms and tornadoes in March 2026. Four people died in those storms, including a 12-year-old in Cass County and three adults in Union City.
  • Oakland County will receive $223,986 for the May 2026 rupture of a 42-inch Great Lakes Water Authority transmission main, which caused widespread loss of water pressure and service.
  • The Michigan departments of Natural Resources and Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy will receive $1,924,692 to meet the state’s 25% cost-share requirement for FEMA-related disaster costs connected to the Cheboygan Dam and statewide flooding disaster.

Whitmer’s office also said DECF assistance was approved for jurisdictions that were not eligible for FEMA Public Assistance after severe storms, tornadoes and flooding affected 49 Michigan counties between April 10 and April 21.

Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police and state director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, said maintaining the fund helps communities manage unexpected disaster costs without creating a lasting burden that could affect local services.

“Having these funds available allows communities to respond, recover, and rebuild without leaving a lasting financial burden that could affect services to local residents down the road,” Grady said in the release.