MENOMINEE, Mich. (WZMQ) – A fierce winter storm has plunged Menominee County into darkness, leaving 6,192 residents without power. Tom Philipps, Emergency Management Coordinator for the county, says all 3 major electric companies, as well as local and village power crews, have been impacted.
“Our area is serviced by 3 different power suppliers. We’ve got all Alger – Delta, we’ve got Wisconsin electric, we’ve got Wisconsin Public Service,” he informed, adding, “All 3 have outages in their areas, as did the locals like the village and city crews that have their own power crews. They had issues too. It’s widespread.” he stated.
Fire crews have been assisting where they can. “It’s a hazard, and the roads are closed, so access is very limited at this time. Yet we did end up having a residential structure fire yesterday afternoon right in the height of this, and it was awful hard for responding agencies to get to the location due to low hanging trees and power lines. They had to take alternate routes to try to get around to get out to the scene. They were able to get on the scene and control the fire, which caused moderate damage to a residential structure,” explained Philipps.
“We’ve opened warming centers within our local municipalities, allowing people to come in, warm up, and charge any electronic devices they might need,” said Philipps. “But the damage to the power grid infrastructure is massive. Many poles and lines need complete replacement,” remarked Philipps.
“Right now, during the daylight hours, we’ve got them open at some of our townships, and have them open at Faithorn Township and Lake Township. The county itself has one here at the Stephenson county annex right on US 41 W. Stephenson. People can reach out and call. Either contact emergency management, or we can order local Township officials, because a lot of them will be closer to go to some of their local locations,” he informed.
With additional personnel brought in by power suppliers, restoration efforts are underway. However, Philipps anticipates a prolonged recovery period. “We’re looking at possibly 3 or 4 days to get somewhere close to normal again,” he explained. “But it’s hard to say until we assess the extent of the damage.”
Warming centers are currently operational during daylight hours, with road commission crews working tirelessly to clear blocked roads. “Access is very limited at this time,” Philipps noted. “We’ve had to deal with hazards like fallen trees and power lines obstructing roads.”
Despite the challenges, the resilient spirit of the community shines through. “Yoopers are pretty resilient,” Philipps remarked. “They’re riding it out at home, or sneaking into town for essentials like groceries and hot meals.”
Acknowledging the patience required during this crisis, Philipps emphasized the dedication of power company workers. “The big thing is for people to be patient. The power companies are working. They’ve got as many people as they can get in here. These guys are working very long shifts. You know, it’s not like they’re just taking their time on this. They’re doing their best to get everything back up and running, and if people run into a situation where they need assistance for whatever reason, if they can’t stay where they’re at anymore, they can reach out and contacting our 911 Dispatch Center through non-emergency – unless it is an emergency type situation – but reach out, and we will get resources & help them as best we can. And if it has to be, we’ll relocate them to somewhere where they can stay until this is done.”
Philipps acknowledged the resiliency of Menominee County residents during the power outage crisis.
“A lot of the places on Stephenson has restaurants, and a couple of our convenience store type set-ups are open, so people can come buy stuff there, and get fuel. A lot of people in this area know, and they have generators providing back up power. So, they’re coming in getting fuel for them. That’s the Yooper attitude, we’ll get through it,” he said.
For any emergency, always call 9-1-1
For the Emergency Management Coordinator, call Tom Philipps at 906-753-2209 Option #1
The coordinator says for those that need extra non-emergency assistance related to the power outages can call non-emergency dispatch.
The main County warming center is located at:
Stephenson county annex right on US 41 W. Stephenson
The Coordinator recommends residents call to find out if there is a warming center closest to their location. He added that if requests are made, warming center hours will be extended.
