ANTRIM COUNTY — The recent March ice storm left over 600 residents in Northern Michigan without electricity and cleanup and power restoration efforts are ongoing, with debris removal and damage assessments underway.
According to an April 7 news release from the county, though power has been restored to thousands, complete power restoration is a monumental task.
“Another monumental task will be post-storm clean up due to the staggering number of fallen trees,” the release said. “Debris removal has already started, but it will take time. Many agencies have assisted with clearing debris from the roadways to allow the safe passage of utility trucks. As the roads are being widened, the amount of debris is increasing, and County residents are being cautioned that it is illegal to move private debris or property into the roadway.”
Burt Thompson, Engineer-Manager of the Antrim County Road Commission, has noted that the public right-of-way is a public space that the county is legally required to maintain. The county simply doesn’t have enough staff or funds to get rid of storm debris beyond what we’ve cleared from the road.
Public road rights-of-way are typically 33 feet from the road centerline, on both sides of the road. Efforts are being made to find areas for property owners to dispose of storm debris.
The State’s new webpage, 2025 Northern Michigan Ice Storm, includes a self-reporting tool for damage assessments, which includes the ability to upload photos. Completing the damage assessment will help determine local and regional needs. Homeowners and business owners whose structures have suffered ice storm damage are also encouraged to contact their insurance providers regarding financial compensation.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently told residents who are planning to burn debris from the ice storm to check open burning status at Michigan.gov/BurnPermit or call 866-922-BURN. “People cause 9 out of 10 wildfires,” said Paul Rogers, the DNR’s fire prevention specialist, noted in the release, “and most of them are debris piles that got out of control.”
The primary role of county government regarding ice storm recovery is to provide accurate information and to support local fire departments and the road commission. Please stay tuned to the Antrim County Emergency Management Facebook page for additional developments.