CHEBOYGAN — Efforts to restore power for Cheboygan County residents affected by last weekend’s ice storm continued as further complications could come Wednesday if another storm system passes through Northern Michigan as expected.
The Cheboygan County Sheriff’s Department’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) said Tuesday that many secondary roads in the county remain blocked due to debris and downed limbs.
“Our dedicated crews are actively working to clear these roads; however, please be patient as we focus on restoring access to major trunk lines first. Your safety is our top priority, and we encourage all residents to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary,” the EOC said in a statement.
Power restoration efforts have seen limited success with some portions of the county now receiving electricity, according to the EOC.
“We ask that residents remain mindful of others’ fuel needs as only a few gas stations are operating at this time. If you must use a generator, please continue to conserve fuel whenever possible in order to assist our community’s recovery efforts,” the center said.
More: Another storm set to hit Northern Michigan as ice storm recovery efforts continue
Emergency shelters remain open for those in need of a safe place. If you or someone you know requires shelter, please visit the designated locations where there are volunteers and resources available.
Warming shelters open now include the following:
More: Live: Thousands still without power mid-week following ice storms
The sheriff’s department suggests if residents have an alternate location outside Northern Michigan that has power, heat and running water, to please consider relocating for the time being until resources are restored.
Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op said about 35,000 of its customers did not have power or internet access as of Monday, March 31.
“Members should plan on a multi-day outage that could extend five-plus days and should make alternative shelter arrangements,” PIE&G said in a statement.
“This ice storm and continued weather has not only had a widespread impact on our main distribution system to your homes and business, but it had a large impact on the transmission system which powers our substations. Many of the PIE&G substations are currently without power,” said Allan Berg, president and CEO, in a statement. “Our fiber internet is also down for our service area. Our team and emergency support are working as quickly and safely as possible to remove debris and make repairs, but the damage is widespread, and full restoration of all members will take an extended period of time.”
Consumers Energy said over 700 crews will be working Tuesday across the Lower Peninsula and said it had restored power to over 65% of about 260,000 customers affected by the weekend weather. Work will continue in the hardest hit areas, including Cheboygan County.
“Consumers Energy aims to restore power in our northern area, hardest hit by severe icing, by the end of the week. We are monitoring another weather system expected to bring damaging winds and possible icing on Wednesday. If this results in further outages, we will provide an updated estimated time of restoration on Friday morning,” the company said in a statement.
Subscribe Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
Separately over 42,000 Great Lakes Energy (GLE) members remain without power across 12 of the cooperative’s 26 counties. Persistent storms across GLE’s northern and southern service area has caused extensive damage, complicating restoration efforts. Since the storm activity began, power has been restored to nearly 67,000 members, but ongoing conditions are causing prolonged outages in some areas.
GLE advises customers to prepare for a five-day to multi-week outage event and if power wasn’t restored by 10 p.m. Monday, March 31 and is essential, members should make alternative arrangements if it is safe to do so. For residents with limited options, Michigan 2-1-1 is a resource available to connect those in need with lodging, food, or assistance.
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.
This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Power restoration continues in Cheboygan County as another storm system is forecast
Reporting by Paul Welitzkin, Cheboygan Daily Tribune / Cheboygan Daily Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
