State Reps Parker Fairbairn and Cam Cavitt today joined President Donald Trump in announcing a historic expansion of FEMA relief coming to Northern Michigan. The new federal support will help recovery efforts after the devastating 2025 ice storm that rocked northern communities.

“Thank you to President Trump for approving this major expansion of federal relief,” said Fairbairn, R-Harbor Springs. “I’m proud to be part of a Northern Michigan team that worked with the governor and the Speaker of the House to secure these funds. After the storm, our electric providers faced extensive infrastructure damage, and in many cases those costs fell on local ratepayers. This federal support will help bring energy bills down while continuing the critical recovery efforts across Northern Michigan.”

The newly announced federal relief will directly go to local utilities that faced hundreds of millions of dollars in damages to infrastructure and equipment following the storm. This support will help those companies complete recovery efforts quicker, without pushing too much of the burden onto local ratepayers.

“This was a much-needed win for the communities of Northern Michigan,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “We have been asking for help for far too long. Thanks to the efforts of President Trump, we’re finally seeing real results. This will lower electrical rates for the people affected by the horrific ice storm damage, and it will drastically increase the response from FEMA.”

More information regarding federal support is likely to come out soon. The lawmakers said they will continue to provide updates as they are available.