Politics

Whitmer declares emergency in ten northern Michigan counties following severe ice storms

After a string of ice storms swept across the northern lower peninsula, leaving tens of thousands of residents without power, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center on Sunday to help coordinate response and recovery efforts. 

ice storms

BY KYLE DAVIDSON, MICHIGAN ADVANCE

MICHIGAN—After a string of ice storms swept across the northern lower peninsula, leaving tens of thousands of residents without power, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated the State Emergency Operations Center on Sunday to help coordinate response and recovery efforts.

On Monday afternoon, Whitmer declared a state of emergency for Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac and Alpena counties to help with response and recovery efforts following the storms that tore through Michigan from Friday night into Sunday afternoon. According to a report from MLive, the storm downed trees and power lines and left roads impassable. 90,000 homes and businesses were left without power at the storm’s peak. 

With the emergency operations center activating at noon on Sunday, personnel have been monitoring the situation and working alongside state and local officials as well as private sector partners to meet any resource needs. The Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division district coordinators have also been on scene with local emergency management officials.

For information on preparing for an emergency or disasters, the emergency operations center advises residents to visit michigan.gov/miready, where it offers resources for addressing severe cold, winter weather, blackouts and several other hazardous situations.

READ MORE: Nessel says 23andMe users should consider deleting accounts in wake of company’s bankruptcy

This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license. 

Keep The 'Gander free for everyone

If you found this story useful, would you consider supporting The 'Gander?

Every day, our team works to provide Michiganders with free, fact-based reporting about the issues, policies, and decisions shaping life across the state. We believe everyone deserves access to trustworthy local news—not just those who can afford a subscription.

That's why you'll never hit a paywall here (though we may ask you to sign up for our newsletter). But keeping our journalism free depends on readers who believe informed communities are worth investing in.

If our reporting has helped you better understand what's happening in Michigan, please consider making a donation today. Every contribution helps us continue reporting, informing, and serving communities across the state.

Kyle Kaminski
Kyle Kaminski Chief Political Correspondent
Support our team