Drivers and passers-by reported at least 16 crashes to the county’s 911 dispatch center by 4 p.m., dispatchers said.

Crashes included several overturned vehicles, at least one severed power pole at the intersection of Werth Road and Gordon Road, and a cement tanker that flipped over into a ditch near the Alpena county line.

Meanwhile, the MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena emergency room cared for more than 50 patients on Monday, including more than 20 with injuries related to slips and falls on ice, according to hospital officials.

To keep up with the influx, medical staff treated patients in the hallway and started testing while patients sat in the ER’s waiting room, said Hilary Coffman, nurse manager for the ER.

News Photo by Julie Riddle A vehicle stands overturned in a ditch on Werth Road in Wilson Township on Monday.

“Everyone pulls together as a team and helps everyone out” on busy days, Coffman said in an email, saying the department called in extra help to provide necessary care. “There is more energy in the department and everyone tries to move things along as quickly as possible.”

Check out the interactive graphic below. Story continues below the graphic.

At one point during the morning, the Alpena Fire Department deployed five ambulances at once, including to one crash and several ice-related falls, but staff was adequate to handle all the calls, said Capt. Andy Marceau, AFD community risk reduction officer.

According to Michigan Traffic Crash Facts, Alpena reported 85 crashes on icy or snowy roads in 2020, the most recent year for which data are available.

The snow that fell in Alpena throughout the morning slowed by mid-afternoon and is not expected to resume today, according to the National Weather Service.

Julie Riddle can be reached at 989-358-5693 or jriddle@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jriddleX.