Photo submitted by Ryan Olds A fallen tree covered in ice is seen leaning against a house in Alpena following a severe snow and ice storm that hit Northeast Michigan on Sunday.

According to a press release from Alpena Power Company (APC) on Monday, as of 5 a.m. approximately 65% of customers were without power.

The release states that crews were addressing the outages and that the company had additional contract crews assisting.

“This is another catastrophic event for Northern Michigan, with extensive tree damage causing widespread power outages throughout the area,” the release stated.

The power company explained that due to the “extensive nature of the damage and the continuing storm” customers should plan for multi-day outages.

According to the release, outages began about 9 p.m. Sunday evening and the situation deteriorated as ice buildup caused damage to trees. The restoration process was designed to get essential services energized first then the largest number of customers on “as quickly as possible.”

This restoration process consists of five stages:

1. Essential functions such as hospitals, 911, police, fire, water, sewer, et cetera

2. Services such as fuel, grocery stores, pharmacies, et cetera

3. Main feeder and distribution lines

4. Areas with the largest number of customers

5. Restore individual homes

“When we restore power, we try to get the largest number of customers on as quickly as possible,” the release stated.

According to APC, crews sometimes have to isolate and leave small outages to work on larger areas. For example, crews may be restoring a neighborhood feeder that has 50 customers but two of them have extensive damage to the service lines to the house. Those two customers are isolated and crews move on to the next neighborhood as it may take as long to restore the two customers as the next neighborhood that has 50 customers.

Once all large areas are energized, crews will return to restore the individual houses, the release stated.

APC suggests customers keep the following safety tips in mind to stay safe during power outages:

– If using a generator, ensure they are connected properly and legally with a transfer switch so they cannot back feed into the power lines and cause danger to crews or the public.

– Always operate a generator outdoors in a well-ventilated space.

– Stay at least 25 feet away from downed wires and anything they are touching. Keep children and pets away, and report the issue by calling 911 and APC at (989) 358-4900.

– Be alert to crews working along slippery and ice-covered roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely go past workers on the roadside.

The power company also requested for “continued patience and understanding” while crews work to restore power to customers.

“We are dealing with a catastrophic event that has affected much of Northern Michigan,” APC stated in the release. “The situation is ever changing, trees continue to fall that can cause more outages and damage additional equipment, both of which can change restoration times. We are asking customers to report issues but please do not continue to call to report the same issue, each call is reviewed and having to review the same information multiple times slows down restoration efforts.”

One tool that customers can use to stay informed is the APC web outage viewer available at alpenapower.com/outage-center/.

To report a power outage call (989) 358-4900 Option 1 or to report an emergency call (989) 358- 4900 Option 2.

APC advises people to report a downed power immediately by calling 911 or (989) 358-4900. However, APC said to not assume that because power is out that the line is not energized. Do not approach the line, stay at least 25 feet away from the line and anything (fences, sheds, et cetera) that it is touching, and keep all children and pets away.

According to the release, APC personnel and contractors were working to restore outages and will continue to do so throughout the duration of the storm.

“We urge all customers to remain vigilant and continue to follow their emergency preparedness plans until the storm has fully passed,” the release stated. “Your safety is a priority, and we appreciate your continued cooperation, patience, and understanding during this time.”

The power company suggests customers follow the safety tips below:

– Keep all electronic devices charged.

– If you have electrically powered medical devices, such as an oxygen generator, be sure to have backup supplies on hand and have a plan to move to another location until power is restored.

– Have an emergency battery or charging station available for use during an outage.

– Have an emergency kit that includes flashlights, extra batteries, water, canned food, and blankets.

– Be prepared with enough medication, baby supplies, and pet foods as applicable.

– A battery-operated radio is also a good idea.