Dear Neighbor,
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family safe and healthy. This special e-news edition will be majorly focused on providing you with severe weather resources. Last week’s storms were devastating to communities across District 21 — resulting in hundreds of power lines and dozens of poles and transformers being knocked down. The National Weather Service even confirmed that seven tornadoes touched down throughout Michigan.
As a result, Governor Whitmer expanded emergency aid to Eaton and Ingham Counties to efficiently and effectively distribute state resources to residents in need. I have been working with the Governor’s office and local officials to help coordinate mitigation efforts and ensure residents receive the assistance they need.
In the meantime, I wanted to share some important information from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) to assist individuals who may have been impacted by the flooding. If your home has experienced water damage, you should:
- Contact your insurance company’s claims hotline and/or your agent to report your claim. Have your policy number and other relevant information readily available.
- When contacting your insurance company, be sure to communicate that you have experienced water damage and are looking to determine what coverage you have available. Do not simply state that your damage is due to a flood as there may be additional causes for water damage (such as a sewer backup or failing sump pump) that may be covered under your policy.
- Take steps to protect your property and prevent further loss.
- Document your loss. Take pictures or videos of the damaged items and do not get rid of the items until the insurance company instructs you to remove the items.
For more information, click here.
As always, if you or someone you know wants to provide any feedback or need assistance of any sort, please feel free to reach out to us at any time. You can email us at SenSAnthony@senate.michigan.gov or call (517) 373-6960. Your safety is our priority.
In service,
Sen. Sarah Anthony
State Senator
District 21
Featured in This Newsletter:
- More Severe Weather Resources
- Things to Know When Considering Student Loans
- Women’s Equality Day
I want to applaud our dedicated first responders, who worked tirelessly around the clock over the last few days. As some areas are still being cleared and assessed for damage, please continue to be vigilant and exercise caution. If you need help or see something to report, use the following links below.
To report downed power lines:
🔌Consumers Energy: Call 1-888-535-9003
🔌 Lansing BWL: Call 1-877-295-5001
🔌DTE: outage.dteenergy.com/report-down-line
Check outage status:
- Consumers Energy- www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter or sign up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text ‘REG’ to 232273 or visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts.
- BWL – https://www.lbwl.com/outagecenter
- DTE – https://outage.dteenergy.com/map
Consumers Energy important safety tips:
- Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can safely go past workers on roadsides.
- Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause a generator to produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Read more guidance on safe generator use here.
- Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Once safe to do so, clean-up of debris from tree trimming or removal during a storm emergency is the responsibility of individual property owners.
- In some cases, the mast that holds the electric service wires to a home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable.
For additional safety tips, visit Michigan.gov/miready.
MDHHS can provide immediate help to individuals and families facing conditions of extreme hardship or emergencies that threaten health and safety.
- General Hotline: (517) 241-3740
- Drinking Water Hotline: (844) 934-1315
Outage credits may be available. However, outage credits do not always fully address the expenses that can be incurred during an extended outage. If you are experiencing financial hardship, find out more about available assistance and shut off protections at www.michigan/mpsc/gethelp.
Things to Know When Considering Student Loans
As Michiganders prepare for fall semester, tuition bills are piling up and student loans are looming. That is why Michigan Department of Treasury’s MI Student Aid Team is asking students and their families to be alert and informed when considering student loans. To make the best decision regarding student loans, the MI Student Aid Team recommends to:
- Complete the FAFSA to maximize financial aid options
- Understand that loans must be repaid with interest
- Compare interest rates and repayment terms before accepting a loan
- Only accept the amount needed and follow instructions to adjust loan amounts
- Beware of loan scams and protect personal banking information
- Visit the school’s financial aid office regularly to stay informed
- Create a studentaid.gov account to manage federal student loans and explore repayment options.
For more information, visit michigan.gov/mistudentaid or contact MI Student Aid via email, phone, or social media.
Women’s Equality Day
Lastly, I want to take a moment to celebrate and acknowledge Women’s Equality Day — a day that commemorates the 103rd anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, that granted women the right to vote. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently proclaimed August 26 as Women’s Equality Day.
Since the passage of the 19th Amendment, various legislative action, such as the 1965 Voting Rights Act, have also been adopted to ensure all women can use their voice at the ballot box and in their daily lives.
For the first time in a long while, the Michigan Senate sees more women than ever in top leadership positions, and I am proud to be one of those women. There is work being done to preserve women’s history in our state: There are over 200 women who have served in the Michigan House and Senate, who are being heavily researched, and their stories will be told through an ongoing project. However, the fight for gender equality and equity is far from over.
For more information about Women’s Equality Day and its historical significance, click here.