Extreme weather in Michigan is intensifying, and the costs are landing on people, farmers, schools, and local budgets. The state has recorded 60 billion-dollar disasters since 1980; that’s more than one every year, and climate change is projected to cost Michigan $5.2 billion annually by 2100.

Climate change is reshaping Michigan's economy. Historic flooding, tornadoes, and ice storms have driven home insurance premiums out of reach and left the state's disaster relief fund in deficit. Drought and severe weather have hit staple industries, including a sharp decline in the cherry crop. School districts are absorbing new costs to manage extreme heat and cold, from cancelled classes to billions in required HVAC upgrades. And rising electricity prices, compounded by storm-related utility damage, are straining household budgets statewide.

At the same time, federal support for disaster recovery is disappearing. The federal government denied disaster assistance to rural Michigan electric utilities after a 2025 ice storm, shifting rebuilding costs onto local ratepayers, and federal staffing cuts have slowed efforts to modernize the outdated flood maps that failed thousands of residents during this year's record flooding.

These are not distant risks. They are current, compounding costs to Michigan families, farmers, and taxpayers. A burden hardened by a federal government abandoning its role in disaster recovery. A majority of Michiganders already recognize climate change is affecting the state's weather. Addressing the climate crisis is not just an environmental priority; it's a fiscal one, and it demands leadership at every level of government. Climate can't wait, and we can't afford to wait either.

From,
Leaders across Michigan