Gretchen Whitmer

Michiganders are tough. When there’s a challenge, we grit our teeth and work together. This past week, our state faced record-breaking, life-threatening low temperatures that we haven’t seen in 25 years. But true to form, we gritted our teeth, worked together, and did everything we could to make sure our friends, family and neighbors got through the cold weather safely.

While this week’s frigid weather has passed, tomorrow we’re anticipating a nearly 100-degree difference in temperature.

This can cause flooding and damage to our roads and highways, and put Michiganders at risk.

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We’ve got to get to work to mitigate the impact of climate change here in Michigan so we can protect our families and our environment, and ensure that the energy supply can meet our state's needs.

These were extraordinary circumstances that we haven't seen in decades. Wind chill temperatures of around -30 to -50 degrees occurred for more than 48 hours across all of Michigan. In these conditions, frostbite for exposed skin could happen in less than 10-15 minutes.

That’s why last Monday, I declared a state of emergency and activated the State Emergency Operations Center at the Michigan State Police Headquarters to coordinate response and recovery efforts between state agencies and local government. Along with leaders in my cabinet, I worked around the clock to make sure everyone in Michigan was aware of their nearest warming center, and had a way to get there safely.

Our state employees worked tirelessly to keep Michiganders safe over the past week. Our emergency responders and snow-plow drivers were out day and night helping people get the resources they needed to survive, warming centers across the state opened their doors and provided food and shelter to those who needed it, and representatives from each state department worked to make sure Michiganders everywhere could call 211 and get the information they needed. I’m proud of the work our state employees did, and I know that in any crisis, we’re all in good hands because of the great work they do on our behalf.

If it weren’t for the swift action taken by our state government and the dedicated people who worked day and night to keep us safe, things could have been a lot worse.

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After Consumers Energy requested that Michiganders everywhere turn down their thermostats to make sure people everywhere could heat their homes because of high demand and a fire at one of their facilities, companies like GM, Ford Motor Co., Fiat Chrysler, and businesses across the state lowered their energy usage.

DTE Energy also provided significant excess gas supply that was crucial in ensuring the safety of Michiganders everywhere. Activating the State Emergency Operations Center was also critical to ensure we could turn down thermostats in state buildings to lower energy usage in our state.

And because people across Michigan made a sacrifice for the rest of us and turned their thermostats down, we were able to conserve the energy we needed to get through this storm. In a time of need, we all came together to keep each other safe.

Tomorrow, the temperature is expected to be around 50 degrees. That’s a 100 degree difference from last Thursday, when parts of Michigan experienced -52 degree weather with windchill.

This is just another example of the impacts that climate change will have on our state if we don’t get to work to mitigate its’ effects. The science is in, and the health of our kids, our families, and our seniors is at risk unless we start working to combat climate change.

I’m committed to lowering Michigan’s greenhouse gas emissions and carbon pollution, and I’m ready to work with everyone else who wants to take steps to protect our state from the threats that climate change poses to our overall health.

There are steps our state must take in order to make sure we’re prepared in case something like this happens again.

I will be closely monitoring the weather in the coming weeks and prepare for the damage that may come with rising temperatures, and cabinet members, elected officials, and leaders across the state are doing everything they can to keep Michiganders safe in the future.

I have also asked the Michigan Public Service Commission for an initial statewide review of supply and deliverability of natural gas, electricity and propane and contingency planning by July 1, 2019 with a final report to follow. This will ensure that if Michigan experiences extreme temperatures again, we can have peace of mind that we’ll be able to get through it together.

I want to personally thank everyone who stepped up to make sure fellow Michiganders could survive the past week unharmed. From our dedicated emergency responders, to snow plow drivers, to people who opened up their homes or helped others access a warming shelter, we could not have gotten through this without you.

Now more than ever, I’m proud to call myself a Michigander.

Gretchen Whitmer is the governor of Michigan.