Volunteers are needed to help Newaygo families muck out and gut out their houses to prepare them for reconstruction. Sign up to volunteer to help at by calling 800-848-5818 or emailing [email protected].
Local officials issued a disaster declaration for the county earlier in the week. While those who live by the rivers in Newaygo are used to flooding, those who live on the lakes are not. World Renew DRS will assist county residents who live in their homes year-round and do not have flood insurance due to the low flood risk. This spring, warmer weather and quickly melting snow, combined with heavy rain, caused unusual flooding that damaged more than a hundred homes and businesses.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency on March 19, 2019, to free up state-based resources to augment the local response. The Grand and other rivers in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula were also under flood warnings last week, even as the central U.S. was submerged by flooding from a bomb cyclone that brought heavy rain and added to the spring snowmelt.
World Renew DRS will begin to assign volunteers to help clean out homes during the week of March 25, 2019. This involves removing soaked drywall, flooring, and other materials as well as treating homes for mold. The work in Newaygo County is expected to continue into April.
VOLUNTEER
If you can volunteer in Newaygo County to help with flood clean-up, please:
- Sign-up: Click HERE for specific dates between March 29 – April 12, 2019.
- Fill out an application: click HERE for a short volunteer application. Please fill this out and send it to [email protected] (so we know who you are, contact info, skills, etc).
- Call 800-848-5818 or email [email protected] with questions.
