CALUMET — Today, Governor Rick Snyder declared a state of emergency in the Upper Peninsula’s Houghton County after intense weekend storms dropped 4-7 inches of rain causing flooding that washed out roads and damaged homes and businesses. In response, state Rep. Scott Dianda (D-Calumet) issued the following statement:

"After two days of catastrophic rain storms, Gov. Rick Snyder issued a state of disaster for Houghton County, ensuring that our communities, families and businesses get the assistance they need to put their lives back together. I spent the last two days working on the ground with our first responders, and conducting an aerial survey of the damage with the Michigan State Police. The intense storms and flash flooding show significant damage to our roads, highways, businesses and homes and remind us of how fragile Michigan’s infrastructure is. We have much to do to repair and rebuild to ensure that our roads and bridges are fixed right and that this kind of disaster does not happen again. While there are many state departments already active in our communities and offering resources, I will continue to work to ensure that they are here for as long as we need them, and that we maximize all available federal resources to help our families and communities get back on their feet again.”