LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Northern Michigan communities continue to recover after devastating ice storms ripped through the state two weeks ago.

Restoration efforts continue.

Tens of thousands of residents sat in the dark for up to a week after the storms, and others are still waiting for the lights to come back on. Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs) says residents in Emmet and Cheboygan Counties are still waiting for power restoration after the worst ice storm in more than a century.

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“We’ve never seen anything like this,” Rep. Fairbairn said on The Steve Gruber Show on Tuesday morning. “The linemen say this is essentially a Category 5 hurricane in northern Michigan in terms of damage,” he said. In addition, Rep. Fairbairn said there are still 1,000 linemen still working in northern Michigan to put up electrical poles and restore power. For him, it is time to talk about changes to make the electric grid stronger.

“I think we really need to have a conversation about underground power,” he said. “Maybe we just do it in those susceptible areas where it’s heavily wooded and we have lines going through swamps and trees.” He said it may be more expensive up front, but it would save money down the line.

Help from neighbors.

Crews in Michigan are getting help from neighbors. PUC Services Inc. of Sault Ste. Marie Ontario joined forces with Cloverland Electric Cooperative in a cross-border collaboration. The cross-border support from PUC Services proved critical to reduce outage numbers by 50% within a couple days.

In addition, four fully equipped debris removal teams from the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) are on scene this week to assist Michigan crews with clearing downed trees from roadways.

Governor Whitmer requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration for Michigan after meeting with President Trump last week.  If approved, the declaration would authorize up to $5 million in immediate public assistance to support emergency efforts and debris management.

Mackinac Island is in the mix.

Mackinac Island State Park has made significant progress in its cleanup efforts following the ice storms. According to a news release, members of the Michigan National Guard assisted in cleanup efforts. Most interior hiking and riding trails remain impassable and are closed. Work on interior trails will continue into the 2025 tourist season.

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Cleanup crews have made major strides on Mackinac Island, with the main road (M-185) encircling the island open for business. Work to clear those is expected to continue for several more weeks.

In the meantime, Fairbairn said Congressman Jack Bergman (R) and House Speaker Matt Hall (R) have been pushing for more help at the federal level because of the catastrophic damage these ice storms unleashed on Michigan. In addition, some state parks are closed indefinitely while work continues.