Desperate times call for desperate measures. In response to contaminated water, President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint, Michigan. Less than one week prior, Michigan governor Rick Snyder mobilized the National Guard to help ease the disaster of lead contamination in Detroit water.

It all began in April 2014. Normally, the city draws water from Lake Huron, but decided to cut costs by taking from the Flint River instead. The Department of Environmental Quality later confessed it failed to add necessary chemicals to the water, and lead leaked from pipes into the drinking water.

While everyone who drank Flint water beginning in 2014 is at risk for lead poisoning, children are more susceptible, for lead can cause severe complications in developing brains. According to the US Census, there are 8,657 children in Flint who could have been exposed to the city’s contaminated water since April 2014.

Jan. 16, Obama authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to cover 75 percent of the costs for fresh water, filters and other vital items for the residents affected. The budget was initially clinched at $5 million, but Congressional authorization may increase it.

In 2014, the state ignored complaints from residents about the color and taste of their water, but only in October 2015 did the state switch back to Detroit water.