MARQUETTE — Small business impacted by the historically warm Winter weather are encouraged to apply for economic relief by the Whitmer administration. For people in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, most Winters are filled with snowmobilers, skiers and other winter sports enthusiasts. However, due to a lack of snow and warm temperatures those activities and other such as ice fishing have been cancelled.
Those cancellations have impacted small businesses who have been frozen out of their normal winter profits. According to the Governor’s office, the following has been the result of the warm winter weather:
- The UP200 was cancelled for the second year in a row because of warm weather.
- 16% of the Great Lakes froze over this winter, compared to 53% normally.
- Marquette has seen 72.6 inches of snow this season, compared to 127 inches on average.
- The CopperDog 150 in the Keweenaw Peninsula was cancelled due to weather.
- The Tahquamenon Country Sled Dog Race in Newberry was cancelled due to weather.
- Detroit reached 73 degrees on February 27, the hottest February day in recorded history—dating back to 1874.
- Snowfall in Grand Rapids is more than three feet—36 inches—below the seasonal average.
“Michiganders are used to tough winters, but this year’s record-setting warm winter has been tough in a different way, causing economic hardships for small businesses and regional economies that rely on snow,” said Governor Whitmer. “I know how hard this winter has been on families and communities who rely on winter tourism revenue and all the associated business that comes with it—hotels, restaurants, and shops. Fortunately, businesses in these 42 counties in the UP and the Northern Lower Peninsula can apply for support right now. A drought is a drought—whether we’re talking about rain or snow. Businesses impacted by low snow in these 42 counties can apply for support right now, and I’ll continue to push our federal government for more solutions. We’ll get through this warm winter together.”
Whitmer has urged businesses to apply for relief through the
Whitmer has urged businesses in the 42 Michigan counties covered by a disaster designation for drought from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to apply for assitance. Through SBA declarations related to those designations, businesses in these counties may be eligible for emergency loans that offset their business losses if the loss is related to the drought.
Applicable SBA declarations and relevant deadlines are as follows:
- Alcona – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Alger – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Alpena – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Antrim – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Arenac – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Bay – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Benzie – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Charlevoix – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Cheboygan – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Clare – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Crawford – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Delta – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Dickinson – Drought Declaration #20209, Deadline 11/27/24
- Emmet – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Gladwin – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Gogebic – Drought Declaration #18175, Deadline 5/13/2024
- Grand Traverse – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Gratiot – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Iosco – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Iron – Drought Declaration #18175, Deadline 5/13/2024
- Isabella – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Kalkaska – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Leelanau – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Luce – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Mackinac – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Manistee – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Marquette – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Mecosta – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Menominee – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Midland – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Missaukee – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Montmorency – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Ogemaw – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Ontonagon – Drought Declaration #18175, Deadline 5/13/2024
- Osceola – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Oscoda – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Otsego – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Presque Isle – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024 OR Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Schoolcraft – Drought Declaration #20175, Deadline 9/26/2024
- Roscommon – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Saginaw – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
- Wexford – Drought Declaration #20133, Deadline 8/12/2024
