Whitmer declares state of emergency for northern Michigan in wake of massive ice storm

FOX 2 - Governor Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency for northern Michigan Monday after the region was pounded by ice storms over the weekend.

Whitmer declared a state of emergency for the northern Lower Peninsula counties of Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac and Alpena.

The backstory:

Tens of thousands of people in the northern half of the state were without power, and people were cautioned not to drive if possible due to the downed wires and roads blocked by trees.

"This morning, I’m declaring a state of emergency to get help out the door as fast as possible for Michiganders hit by the ice storm," said Whitmer in a statement. "Yesterday, I activated our State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate our response. State and local emergency teams are already on the ground, and we will continue collaborating with local first responders too. I want to thank everyone working hard to keep people safe. We will get through this together."

Power outages being released Monday detail the large-scale damage from the storms - with more than 32,000 Presque Isle Electric and Gas customers across seven counties in Michigan with largest impact in Cheboygan County.

The counties of Oscoda, Alpena, Otsego, Montmorency, Cheboygan and Emmet had declared local declarations. State officials say local resources have been overwhelmed in addressing the situation for residents who suffered power outages, including loss of backup generators, loss of phone and cellular services, and impassable roads.

The declaration of a local state of emergency activates local emergency response and recovery plans. By requesting a governor’s declaration, these counties have determined local resources are insufficient to address the situation, and state assistance is required to protect the health, safety, and property to lessen or avert the threat of a crisis.

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.

By declaring a state of emergency, all state resources will be available in cooperation with local response and recovery efforts in the designated areas.

The declaration provides that the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division will coordinate state efforts.

For more information on how to prepare before, during and after an emergency or disaster, visit Michigan.gov/miready or follow MSP/EMHSD on X at @MSPNorthernMI.