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PHOTOS: Northern Michigan ice storm creates havoc, prompts community response

WCMU | By Teresa Homsi
Published April 9, 2025 at 4:56 PM EDT
The North Central State Trail, which runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City, is covered in tree debris on March 31, 2025. This trail is managed by the Top of Michigan Trails Council, but on April 4, 2025, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources "indefinitely" closed state-managed trails across 12 counties in the northern lower peninsula and eastern U.P. Debris around trails poses a public safety threat, according to Ron Olson, the DNR parks and recreation chief. "There's also the danger of what we call hangers, meaning branches that may have broken off and are hanging up against another tree that could fall down," he said.
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
The North Central State Trail, which runs from Gaylord to Mackinaw City, is covered in tree debris on March 31, 2025. This trail is managed by the Top of Michigan Trails Council, but on April 4, 2025, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources "indefinitely" closed state-managed trails across 12 counties in the northern lower peninsula and eastern U.P. Debris around trails poses a public safety threat, according to Ron Olson, the DNR parks and recreation chief. "There's also the danger of what we call hangers, meaning branches that may have broken off and are hanging up against another tree that could fall down," he said.

Hundreds of thousands of people lost power in northern Michigan after an ice storm hit in late March 2025. Below are moments captured by WCMU's Teresa Homsi while she was on the ground reporting on the storm.

Shelbie Mosley, a volunteer firefighter with the Cheboygan Fire Department, unloads bottled water at a temporary warming shelter on April 2, 2025 at the city's fire hall. A few days after the storm, she said the initial emergency – in terms of a high volume of calls – had cooled down, but tens of thousands were still without power. The National Guard, which was deployed by the governor on April 1, offered some relief to Mosley. “People want to help each other. It just takes a minute for them to get here," she said. "It’s nice to know we have the support when we need it.”
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
Shelbie Mosley, a volunteer firefighter with the Cheboygan Fire Department, unloads bottled water at a temporary warming shelter on April 2, 2025 at the city's fire hall. A few days after the storm, she said the initial emergency – in terms of a high volume of calls – had cooled down, but tens of thousands were still without power. The National Guard, which was deployed by the governor on April 1, offered some relief to Mosley. “People want to help each other. It just takes a minute for them to get here," she said. "It’s nice to know we have the support when we need it.”
John Blanck (right) and Brian Cleven (left) drove from Harbor Springs to stock up on gas in Eastport, just north of Torch Lake, on March 31, 2025. They just returned from a vacation, and are now dropping $200 to fuel their and their neighbors' generators. "Hey, we got property to keep up, farm animals, neighbors who are old, who can't get out, and their heat is running out," Cleven said. During the first few days of the ice storm, gas stations across the region had shutdown due to outages, making it difficult even for those with generators to power their homes,.
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
John Blanck (right) and Brian Cleven (left) drove from Harbor Springs to stock up on gas in Eastport, just north of Torch Lake, on March 31, 2025. They just returned from a vacation, and are now dropping $200 to fuel their and their neighbors' generators. "Hey, we got property to keep up, farm animals, neighbors who are old, who can't get out, and their heat is running out," Cleven said. During the first few days of the ice storm, gas stations across the region had shutdown due to outages, making it difficult even for those with generators to power their homes.
The Cheboygan Walmart lost power on March 30, 2025, as dozens of shoppers stocked up on supplies, following the first round of outages. The Walmart, along with the Cheboygan McDonald's, reopened a couple of days later and were among the first couple businesses in the area to get power via a backup generator.
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
The Cheboygan Walmart lost power on March 30, 2025, as dozens of shoppers stocked up on supplies, following the first round of outages. The Walmart, along with the Cheboygan McDonald's, reopened a couple of days later and were among the first couple businesses in the area to get power via a backup generator.
Tree cutters line up at the Cheboygan Walmart on April 2, 2025, where they were on standby to remove trees from power lines ahead of a projected storm. A worker did not want to go on record and said he was used to working in similar icy conditions, but called the ice storm "historic." A Consumers Energy spokesperson later told WCMU that the Wednesday storm was not as a bad as predicted, preventing additional widespread outages and enabling the company to restore power more quickly than expected.
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
Tree cutters line up at the Cheboygan Walmart on April 2, 2025, where they were on standby to remove trees from power lines ahead of a projected storm. A worker did not want to go on record and said he was used to working in similar icy conditions, but called the ice storm "historic." A Consumers Energy spokesperson later told WCMU that the Wednesday storm was not as a bad as predicted, preventing additional widespread outages and enabling the company to restore power more quickly than expected.
Cots are set up at the E-Free Church in Gaylord on April 3, 2025
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
Cots are set up at the E-Free Church in Gaylord on April 3, 2025. Around 250 people have been staying overnight in the church after ice storms took out power across the region. Pastor Scott Distler said on April 3 that more than a thousand people have dropped by to stock up on food or water, and around 250 have been spending the night every day since the storm first hit. “These folks here are so misplaced and discouraged, and now that the shock has worn off, they're scared, so being able to give them a hot meal, it just eases them,” he said.
Tree cutters and line workers
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
Tree cutters and line workers are congregating at the Fairfield Inn in Gaylord on April 3, 2025. They're part of more than 900 crews that have flocked to northern Michigan to help restore power in the region after ice storms caused massive outages.
Children watch the Lion King at the E-Free Church in Gaylord on April 3, 2025. The church opened up as a temporary shelter after ice storms took out power across northern Michigan. Frederic resident, Nelva Durrett said the church was a "blessing." She was on oxygen and was discharged from the hospital, the same day her home lost power. But she said she immediately went to the church and has spent the last few days there, making new friends. Seeing the children running around the church and having fun was a source of joy for Durrett.
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
Children watch the Lion King at the E-Free Church in Gaylord on April 3, 2025. The church opened up as a temporary shelter after ice storms took out power across northern Michigan. Frederic resident, Nelva Durrett said the church was a "blessing." She was on oxygen and was discharged from the hospital, the same day her home lost power. But she said she immediately went to the church and has spent the last few days there, making new friends. Seeing the children running around the church and having fun was a source of joy for Durrett.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer toured northern Michigan on April 3, 2025, following an ice storm that took out power across the region. She stopped by the E-Free Church in Gaylord, where she served onion rings to the shelter's visitors.
Teresa Homsi
/
WCMU
Governor Gretchen Whitmer toured northern Michigan on April 3, 2025, following an ice storm that took out power across the region. She stopped by the E-Free Church in Gaylord, where she served onion rings to the shelter's visitors.
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Local/Regional News Ice AccumulationWeatherNorthern MichiganMajor StormsReport for AmericaWCMU Highlights
Teresa Homsi
Teresa Homsi is an environmental reporter and Report for America Corps Member based in northern Michigan for WCMU. She covers rural environmental issues, focused on contamination, conservation, and climate change.
See stories by Teresa Homsi
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