Northern Michigan ice storm knocks out power, downs trees, leads to activation state of emergency center
MONTMORENCY COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - While lower Michigan dealt with severe thunderstorms Sunday, up north has been braving an ice storm that knocked out power, crippled travel, and led to the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).
At noon Sunday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the SEOC to help provide resources to people living in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.
The backstory:
An ice storm that moved through the area over the weekend toppled trees, took down wires, and made for dangerous driving conditions. As of 8 a.m. Monday, tens of thousands of people in the northern half of the state were without power, and people are advised to use caution if they must drive due to downed wires and roads blocked by trees.
In Montmorency County, which sits between Gaylord and Alpena, a local State of Emergency was issued at 5:30 p.m. Sunday and is in effect for 24 hours. The county Office of Emergency Management is advising people to avoid traveling unless there is an emergency. The county also pulled road commission drivers off the road overnight.
On Saturday afternoon, Camp Grayling in Crawford County posted that around 2,000 Consumers Energy linemen would be staying at the military base to help with the storm response.
What's next:
The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement for the area hit by the ice storm on Monday.
Light snow in the morning is expected, along with cold temperatures that "will exacerbate infrastructural and tree damage impacts across the region." Due to this, there is a threat of falling limbs and trees.
Roads are expected to remain impassable in some areas.
What to do if you see a downed wire
If there is an emergency, such as a fire or you see a power line on an unoccupied car, first call 911 then call the power company.
Stay at least 20 feet from the wires. Do not touch the power lines or use an object to touch them. Do not drive over downed wires. Also, avoid touching anything the wire touches, such as a fence or a puddle.
Be sure to keep pets and children away from the lines, too.
If you are inside your vehicle and a wire falls on it, stay inside and call 911.
The Source: A press release from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office, information from the Montmorency County Sheriff's Office, and a National Weather Service alert were used to report this story.