Washington — The Federal Highway Administration said Wednesday it will provide $50 million in emergency relief funds to Michigan to reimburse the state for repairs it made to roadways and bridges following the severe flooding in mid-Michigan in 2020. 

The historic flooding starting May 17 of that year prompted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to declare a state of emergency and to order the evacuation of more than 10,000 residents. 


The flooding contributed to the failure of the Edenville Dam on May 19, 2020, and then the Sanford Dam, causing additional flooding in the Tittabawassee River region. 

The FHWA said the funding for Michigan is part of a $513 million that the agency is distributing to states and territories from the Emergency Relief Program for repairs to roads and bridges damaged by storms, floods, wildfires and other recent severe weather events.


“From recent hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast, to wildfires in California and floods and mudslides in numerous states, we must address the devastating impacts of climate change and work to build more sustainable transportation infrastructure to better withstand its impacts for years to come," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. 

In this package, Michigan received more than most other states with the exceptions of California and Puerto Rico. California got $95.5 million for wildfires and monsoon rainstorms and Puerto Rico got $159 million for damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and Tropical Storm Isaias in 2020.