Marquette County declares local State of Emergency

Marquette County has declared a local State of Emergency because of the severe winter weather conditions.

Marquette County Board of Commissioners Chairman Gerry Corkin declared the state of emergency Friday afternoon.  He said frost levels have exceeded a depth of seven feet in some areas–including Marquette, Negaunee, and Ishpeming–leading to a large number of water main breaks.

“This freeze is causing local jurisdictions to exhaust their resources in order to keep water mains flowing to their residents and businesses,” Corkin said in a press release.  “This declaration will allow the county to reach out to the state for assistance in obtaining the necessary resources to assist those jurisdictions.”

The emergency declaration has been sent to the state Emergency Operations Center for approval.

“Once we receive their approval, state resources could then become available for jurisdictions to tap into for help.  Marquette County Emergency Management and Damage Assessment officials continue to track information related in this incident,” Marquette County Administrator Scott Erbisch said.

If it is approved, state aid may be available to help local communities.