Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio on April 30, 2025. 

At a giant dirt lot off a side road in Emmet County, the air smells sharply of pine.

Enormous piles of logs and branches sit around the property.

Terry and Nancy Chamberlin drag pine branches out of the bed of a black pickup truck and a small trailer — trees from their five-acre property in Alanson.

“We got hit real hard on this. We went out here — I think this is our 10th double trip down here in three days — and we’re just having a ball doing this,” Terry said. “And then I can start in the woods, which is going to take me two years to clean up.”

Debris from a massive ice storm at the end of March was strewn across the region. A lot of it fell on power lines, causing widespread outages.

But now, the same debris that knocked out the power a few weeks ago could be used to make electricity.

Utilities worked to clear much of the debris from power lines, and it was up to local emergency management teams and road commissions to figure out what to do with debris piling up around right of ways along the road and on private land.

So some set up these drop off sites, where people can bring branches and trees that were damaged or destroyed by the ice.

Lindsey Walker, who works in outreach for Emmet County Recycling, said they were able to pivot to collecting wooden debris. Usually, a company will come through to grind wood debris people drop off at the county’s waste facility into wood chips.

“We have to justify mobilizing these very expensive grinders and haulers of this material. And so every two years, we’re normally grinding our wood waste,” she said. “We need to have about 5,000 cubic yards on the ground at any time, and now we’ve got about 10 times the amount of that.”

Some established drop-off sites have been open around the clock, receiving debris by truck, trailer and even dump trucks.

“Having sites that are free and ample space for the public to bring debris is really important,” Walker said. “So this site has plenty of capacity for further debris, and then once we get that material ground, then we’re hauling, and so there’s this process of cleaning up sites as they go along. This is like us doing the best that we can with the resources that we have.”

Some of the woody debris might go to places like landscaping businesses to use as mulch. But they’re also selling it to biomass facilities nearby, which will turn that into energy.

“I like to use the little saying that we were green before green was cool,” said Tom Clift, the director of biomass operations at NorthStar Clean Energy, a company that runs four such facilities, including one in Grayling. “We’ve been in the renewable power business for a long time.”

NorthStar is one of the companies buying and burning that wooden debris from the storm. It uses that to create electricity. In all, the facility powers up to 38,000 homes. It works with another company, AJD Forest Products, to source and organize deliveries.

“All wood is graded by different levels,” he said. “Biomass levels are really looking at the [British thermal unit] of the wood. If it’s a higher quality BTU product they’ll pay more because it will burn better.”

Clift said they’re not cutting down trees for wood to produce that power.

“Any wood product that we use here was either going to be left on the forest floor, to turn into methane and be released on its own, or it’s other materials that would have gone to the landfill,” he said.

Dealing with forest management and debris after natural disasters is something other areas of the country have been trying to figure out as well, such as places in the southeast hit by Hurricane Helene.

But officials say this is an unusual issue in northern Michigan, which hasn’t typically faced the same kinds of disasters. Having biomass facilities in the region make dealing with debris in this way easier.

Biomass refers to a range of fuels, from animal manure to trash to wood. Using biomass for energy has a long history. For instance, in the United States residue from wood pulp manufacturing has been a popular source of fuel for electricity over the decades, though that has declined, said Brent Sohngen, a professor at Ohio State University who studies the economics of forestry.

The relationship between biomass-fueled energy and climate is far from straightforward.

Public health researchers and environmental groups have raised alarms about biomass for years, pointing to pollution from facilities, health issues and harm to nearby communities, which are often communities of color or low-income communities, according to advocates. Critics say framing of biomass energy as better for the climate is misleading; it can rely on logging, and burning matter like wood also emits greenhouse gases. And some argue the focus should instead be on cleaner forms of energy, such as solar.

There are situations where biomass-fueled energy will emit more carbon than it saves, Sohngen said — for instance, logging old growth trees for fuel. But in circumstances like the ice storm, biomass could be considered a carbon-neutral energy option, because that wooden debris would otherwise decompose over time, emitting greenhouse gases.

“The nice thing about taking that material and using it for electricity is that it creates electricity, and if you’re creating extra units of electricity from that material, then you’re potentially offsetting some other source of electricity on the system on the grid,” such as coal, he said.

Removing woody debris from the landscape to burn for electricity poses other issues. One example: Dead and dying trees provide a wide range of benefits that should be considered before removing them.

“There’s huge numbers of bugs that will basically use that wood material for growing themselves, and there’s animals or birds or other kinds of things that’ll use the bugs for their own life cycle,” said Sohngen. “It’s really important that, you know, we can’t just take all of the dead material out of a forest and expect a forest to function well.”

There may also be an increasing interest in biochar following disasters like Helene, he said. Biochar is an almost pure form of carbon made from heating up materials like plant matter, and can be spread out in farm fields or forests.

“What we found is that this biochar material has such a long life that it’s a way to lock up a lot of carbon in the forest system for many, many years — millennia, even,” he said.

At another drop-off site in Emmet County, Lindsey Walker walked around yet another mound of logs and branches. Biochar is on her mind as well.

“We rank it by highest and best use,” she said of dealing with the debris. “In my world of worlds, we would be making biochar out of this, because biochar has such value for composting operations, for water filtration, for sequestering PFAS. I mean, the opportunities for biochar are endless.”

But such operations aren’t an option right now, she said, so they turned to biomass and other uses, like mulch for landscaping.

For now, some debris drop-off sites will be open until things slow down, though others are closing.

Road commissions are asking people not to leave wood along right-of-ways. It’s also been a dry spring so far, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources has some restrictions on burning in place and recommends that people check on burn permits and conditions in their area.

One Cheboygan road commission official told IPR they reached out to people in the timber industry to ask about selling the wood they’re collecting at sites. The only reply they’ve received so far came from a lobbying group, which said the wood chip market is flooded.

The state House is poised to vote on legislation this week to allocate $75 million toward recovery efforts in northern Michigan following the massive ice storm that swept through the region last month.

The damage includes downed trees and utility poles, damage to buildings and schools and businesses forced to close.

State Rep. Parker Fairbairn (R-Harbor Springs) told the Michigan Public Radio Network that some communities would be bankrupted if they had to shoulder the cleanup and recovery costs on their own.

“The signal to people at the end of the day is, we’re here to help,” he said. “I mean, we’re estimating somewhere between $200- and $300 million worth of damage. I think it’s going to be much more than that and there’s a lot of things we can’t really estimate right now.”

The $75 million appropriation would help leverage another $225 million in federal disaster funds. If approved this week by the House, it would still have to be approved by the Michigan Senate.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared a state of emergency across much of northern Michigan. She also asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration which would make the area eligible for more federal relief.

There was also a bill introduced last week that would lift minimum school instructional day requirements for schools located in counties covered by the governor’s winter storm emergency decree. Those counties include Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Mackinac, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego and Presque Isle.

Rep. Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan) said it does not make sense to require students to remain in school to make up days lost due to a natural disaster.

“Our students just went through one of the most horrifying storms they will ever experience,” said Cavitt in a written statement.

“Things have been hard…We need to take steps to help these kids and their families, not force them to sit in schools that lack air conditioning until July.”

An ice storm at the end of March caused widespread damage throughout northern Michigan.

The Department of Natural Resources says an untold number of trees and power poles snapped or fell over under the weight of an inch or more of ice. Some landed on people’s houses, causing roof damage.

Some trees look like toothpicks

DNR Incident Response Team spokesperson Kathleen Lavey says the coating was so thick it bent pine trees out of shape.

“And we have hardwood trees that have lost a lot of their top branches due to the weight of the ice,” she said. “It’s kind of shocking when you’re looking at it.”

Lavey says people traveling north on I-75 between Gaylord and Mackinaw City will see many broken trees this spring.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in 12 counties where thousands of homes and businesses lost power for several days. She also mobilized the Michigan National Guard to help the DNR and local authorities remove fallen trees and branches from hundreds of miles of roads.

Lavey says DNR staff showed Guard members how to use chain saws to clear large tree trunks.

“Our No. 1 goal is to get trees out of the roadways so that people can drive as needed, especially for emergency purposes, and so kids could go back to school,” she said.

Things have mostly returned to normal up north, but the ice storm’s impact will last for weeks, maybe months.

The DNR has temporarily closed many state parks, trails and campgrounds. The agency expects to reopen them in time for the tourism season.

More fuel for wildfires

The amount of tree debris on the ground has also raised concerns about of wildfires in northern Michigan. The DNR responded to almost two dozen wildfires in mid-April. Lavey says as trunks and branches dry out, they provide extra fuel for wildfires. Insects and disease are another concern.

More: Michigan DNR prepares for wildfire season

“A tree that has damage to its bark is more susceptible to like a fungal infection or to insects penetrating the tree, and we do have some concerns about forest health that we’re also going to be trying to address,” she said.

Lavey also warns people to watch for loose branches hanging in trees.

“The old loggers back in the day used to call them widow-makers,” she said. “If one landed on you, you were done.”

Forests will recover

Lavey says the ice storm has changed the appearance of Michigan’s forests, but their resilience ensures they’ll recover.

“Forests are used to having a reset every now and then,” she said. “They will persevere, and we will help them.”

Michigan State Police offer ice storm recovery updates and resource information online.

In communities around Little Traverse Bay, the snow and ice is starting to melt but clear signs of destruction remain.

It’s being called the worst ice storm in northern Michigan in modern history, knocking out power to about 100,000 homes and businesses.

One week later, fallen trees still line the road shoulders. Dozens of utility vehicles are parked behind orange cones. And hundreds were still without power as of April 4.

The workers who’ve poured in from across the state are getting the job done. According to outage maps, power started coming back on in downtown areas at the end of last week.

But some residents say recovery from the ice storm will take more than just turning the lights back on.

Power restored to cities

At the Community Reformed Church in Charlevoix, volunteers packed away pans of ground beef. Over the past few days, they worked by lantern light to serve hot meals to those seeking shelter.

Lights at the church came back on Wednesday. Buns, chips and sloppy joe mix were left over and the group that came for lunch Thursday was smaller than it was earlier in the week.

To Pastor Chip Sauer, those are good signs.

“Power lines have been down all over the place. It is like the apocalypse, like a bomb exploded,” he said. “In the city, it doesn’t feel like that anymore. It’s gotten back to normal. The lights are on. The restaurants are open. But there’s still a handful of people [without] power.”

The situation is much the same further north in Petoskey.

Many gas stations are reopened, providing critical fuel for line workers and generators. City Manager Shane Horn says about 95% of Petoskey’s service area had power as of Thursday, April 3.

The quick turnaround, he said, is owed to the city’s mostly underground power lines.

“Having that percent of our community undergrounded has truly been a blessing in that we don’t have similar issues that other communities have with downed power lines and utility pole issues,” Horn said.

Rural communities still in response phase

While cities are starting to see a return to normal, those living in more rural areas are still in what emergency managers call “the response phase.”

Great Lakes Energy, which still has nearly 20,000 customers without power, established a camp for utility workers in Otsego County on Saturday — one of the hardest hit areas. GLE chief executive Shaun Lamp said the company hopes to “substantially restore” many areas by April 8, it could take longer for more backcountry areas.

On the north side of Little Traverse Bay in Harbor Springs, Shay Elementary School served as one of the busiest warming stations in the area.

City police officers were stationed at the front entrance, keeping a list of names in front of stacks of water bottles. Nurses with the American Red Cross brought dozens of cots that lined the school’s cafeteria.

The people who had to stay the night were mostly elders. That’s because a housing community for low-income seniors called the Village of Hillside lost power. Some had to stay to power oxygen machines or get medication.

“Nobody wants to leave home and sleep in a school with all these people, but I think they’ve become accustomed to it,” said Matthew Bush, Hillside’s service coordinator. “I mean, they’ve come to realize that there’s not much of a choice. It’s either this or be very, very cold.”

Despite this, the attitude at Shay Elementary is positive, especially among the volunteers.

“It’s been overwhelming in, like, a really great way, but also just a really devastating way at the same time,” said Jessica Mills, a fourth grade teacher at Shay Elementary who’s been helping coordinate the shelter. “Initially, I was just watching the door to let people in and make sure they got settled and answered questions. Since then, I was kind of made the point person.”

The school’s cafeteria is staffed by restaurant workers from downtown Harbor Springs. They’ve been serving free hot meals three times a day since the shelter opened.

“Everyone has been helping, like the police officers’ wives have all been with their parents, my parents, like the whole community, has really just come together,” Mills said. “And we couldn’t have done it without every single other person.”

Mills said she’s eager for recovery to begin and that she hopes her school reopens soon. Helping out has been a good distraction but she’s eager to check in on all her students she hasn’t seen in days. Some of their families, she said, will deal with the aftermath of this storm for months.

“I just think there’s so much we need to do. People have gone days without being able to contact their loved ones because the service has been atrocious. People’s fridges are going to need to be cleaned out,” she said. “It just feels like any support would help.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio on April 7, 2025.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has deployed the Michigan National Guard to help with ice storm recovery.

Two specialized teams were deployed Wednesday to help clear debris on roadways.

“These are engineers with chainsaws and other equipment working with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Public Safety Communications System,” said Michigan national Guard spokesman David Kennedy.

The National Guard is also responding to a request from the MyMichigan Medical Center in Alpena to set up a temporary shelter.

Kennedy confirmed servicemen have set up medical tents outside the hospital to support emergency room overflow.

Warming centers are open across the region for people who have no power or heat.

“We are continuing our all-hands-on-deck approach to help families and communities impacted by the storms in Northern Michigan,”  Whitmer said in a news release. “Power restoration is a top priority, and I’m grateful to our utility partners for positioning hundreds of utility workers to help get power back online as fast as possible.”

Due to lost power at gas stations, a lack of fuel has been among the main concerns in the region. Whitmer also said she would temporarily lift restrictions on weight and commercial driver hours to allow energy supplies to move quickly to northern Michigan.

Great Lakes Energy said in a Monday night statement that it “advises members to prepare for a five-day to multi-week outage event.”

OUTAGE INFO

• Consumers Energy
• Great Lakes Energy
• Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op

The governor’s latest orders also added Alcona and Antrim counties to an earlier state of emergency declaration.

“The declaration authorizes the Michigan State Police, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division (MSP/EMHSD) to coordinate state efforts above and beyond what MSP/EMHSD has already been doing in conjunction with local agencies,” said a news release from the governor’s office.

The state of emergency declaration now applies to Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac, Alpena, Alcona, and Antrim counties.

“Our Soldiers and Airmen train to be ready to support communities across Michigan when facing natural disasters,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Paul D. Rogers, adjutant general and director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Our focus will be to assist state and local agencies as we clear roadways overcome by debris.”

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio on April 2, 2025.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published by Interlochen Public Radio on March 31, 2025.

Relief from a brutal ice storm — which left thousands without power across Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula — could be a few days off yet, according to forecasts.

Police officers are using chain saws to clear roadways.

Gas stations are unable to pump fuel because the power is out.

And warming centers are open as cold temperatures persist.

These are just a few of the effects of a massive ice storm that has brought parts of northern Michigan to a standstill.

Temperatures are expected to stay near or below freezing through Wednesday across much of the region, which means there won’t be a lot of melting any time soon. The nearest warmup is expected Thursday, with temperatures in the low-to-mid 40s.

Meteorologists are describing the weekend’s ice storm as historic.

“Mid- to southern Michigan received a pretty nasty ice storm in 1976,” said Sean Christensen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. “That’s honestly the only one we could find that was nearly this widespread and damaging.”

Christensen said even some National Weather Service employees had to sleep at the weather station due to road blockages and power outages.

“We had the perfect setup for northern Michigan to see reports of almost an inch or over of ice,” Christensen said.

That perfect weather setup is exceptionally rare.

“You have to have a lot of cold air to the north and then a lot of warm, moist air coming up from the south,” said Marty Baxter, a professor of meteorology at Central Michigan University. “It’s unusual to have those two things so close together for a significant period of time.”

The warm, moist air from the south is less dense, Baxter said, and sat on top of freezing surface temperatures. Rain fell from that warm system above, then froze as it accumulated in the cold system.

Though responders are working to restore power and clear roads, northern Michiganders might not be out of the woods yet.

“Upcoming weather-wise, we still have a couple things that normally wouldn’t be a big deal” but could make an already bad situation worse, said Christensen, with the National Weather Service in Gaylord.

Temperatures are expected to drop Monday night, raising concern about freezing pipes and cold conditions in homes without power.

Another round of mixed precipitation could come through midweek.

“Sleet, snow, and we can’t even rule out freezing rain,” Christensen said. “We’re not expecting accumulations nearly as bad, but nonetheless, it’s still going to be poor roadway conditions.”

The National Weather Service is urging people to remain in place at home or at a warming shelter unless absolutely necessary.

Extreme winds and thunderstorms in southern Michigan caused damage to homes and power lines there, too, which could slow repairs across the state.

Keeping up with it all

The storm has brought much of life to a standstill in the area, with school and business closures. McLaren Health said its outpatient clinics are closed, though emergency departments remain open and fully functional.

In Wolverine, just off I-75’s Exit 301, officials moved a warming center from the fire department to the local high school, because of high demand.

Police officers were using chainsaws to help clear downed trees from roadways and other areas.

And emergency responders were inundated with calls for help.

“We’ve responded to almost 80 calls in the last 48 hours,” said Allie Ronk, a dispatcher with the Little Traverse Bay Band tribal police who was volunteering at the Wolverine Fire Department on Monday morning. “There are some years we respond to under 100 calls. The sheer volume is more than our area can take, and we’re still getting repeat calls.”

The biggest concern was fuel, with many gas stations out of power and unable to pump gas for vehicles and generators.

“Stay home, stay safe,” Ronk said, or go to a warming station if needed.

Meanwhile, hundreds of utility crews were working across Michigan to get the lights back on following storms that encased the northern Lower Peninsula in ice, and severe thunderstorms that raked across southern Michigan on Sunday night.

In northern Michigan, several inches of ice added enormous strain to electrical lines and power poles, or snapped branches and toppled trees, bringing down power lines and making roads impassible. People are asked to stay off the roads if possible.

Consumers Energy says it is on track to have power restored in many places by Tuesday, with another day needed for the harder hit areas.

But some damage will be longer lasting.

Radio station WKHQ lost its tower in the storm. The 600-foot broadcast antenna collapsed.

Private residences also experienced damage from falling trees and limbs.

IPR will continue to update this story as we learn more.