NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Large swaths of Northern Michigan are without power as the second day of icy weather downs power lines, tree branches and creates hazardous driving conditions.
As of 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, Consumers Energy was reporting 695 outages with 43,948 people affected. Great Lakes Energy was reporting 406 outages affecting 43,926 customers. Cloverland Electric Cooperative reported at 7 a.m. that they had 1,257 outages across nine townships in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.
Ice damaged trees and power lines are seen in Gaylord on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
According to a press release from Great Lakes Energy issued Sunday morning, customers in nine counties are without power, with the number of those affected rising significantly overnight after reports of falling trees and extensive damage to power lines.
Many people lost their power again after it had been restored once before on Saturday.
Great Lakes Energy outage map, as of 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
Great Lakes Energy officials expect the restoration effort to take multiple days.
“Damage to the cooperative’s electric infrastructure is extensive with many broken poles and downed wires,” according to the press release. “Heavy ice has brought down trees both into power lines and in roadways making them impassable in some locations. GLE line crews are working in conjunction with contractors and neighboring cooperative utility assistance to restore power safely. Tree trimming crews have also been called in to aid in the effort.”
Downed wires have also created treacherous driving conditions. One example is at M-68 (Sturgeon Street) at Rotter Road in Cheboygan County, which was closed early Sunday morning due to downed power lines in the road.
CCE Central Dispatch, covering Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Emmet counties, issued a warning on Facebook urging people not to travel.
“It is strongly encouraged to stay off the roads today due to power lines and trees still in the road and more are continuing to fall,” the post reads.
CCE also noted that St. Matthews Church, 1303 Boyne Ave. in Boyne City, and Lighthouse Missionary Church, 7824 Rogers Road in East Jordan, are open as warming shelters for those in need.
According to the National Weather Service Office in Gaylord, an ice storm warning remains in effect for Alpena, Montmorency, Otsego, Charlevoix, Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, Cheboygan, Emmet and Presque Isle counties, and Mackinac Island/Bois Blanc Island, Beaver Island and surrounding islands until noon.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Power outages sweep across Northern Michigan due to ice storm March 2025
