A crippling ice storm swept through Michigan and Wisconsin on Sunday, toppling trees and power lines and leaving over 400,000 residents without electricity, according to The Associated Press.
Simultaneously, forecasters warned of an impending severe weather outbreak for Tennessee, including the possibility of tornadoes and damaging winds.
The freezing rain, which coated the upper Great Lakes region, caused widespread disruption, forcing the closure of businesses and cancellation of church services. Many churches that retained power, as well as schools and fire halls, opened their doors as warming centers to provide refuge for those impacted by the outages.
Utilities are working to restore power, but officials warn that the process could extend into Monday, particularly in smaller communities and rural areas.
The National Weather Service office in Gaylord, Michigan, which was directly impacted by the storm, reported on social media platform X:
“Accumulations range here from a half inch to nearly a whole inch of ice!”
“Despite the calendar showing spring, it’s still winter,” said Ryan Brege, managing director of the Alpena County, Michigan, Road Commission, located 250 miles north of Detroit. Alpena Power reported that nearly all of its 16,750 customers – homes and businesses – were without power.
Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the National Weather Service warned of potential winds exceeding 70 mph (112 kph) and the possibility of tornadoes and hail as large as 2 inches for the middle of the state.
In contrast to the icy conditions further north, authorities in South Carolina reported progress in containing wildfires raging in the Blue Ridge mountains. The Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires have consumed approximately 17 square miles. Mandatory evacuations were ordered Saturday for some residents of Greenville County, though the situation appeared to be improving as of Sunday.
