MI recovers after storms black out 264K

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) - Utility crews are working to restore power to tens of thousands of Michigan homes and businesses after a winter storm packing high winds and heavy snow blacked a quarter-million electricity customers statewide.

It's the same storm system that triggered deadly tornadoes across the Midwest.

The National Weather Service reports wind gusts reaching 55 mph Friday and Saturday and up to 15 inches of snow to the north. Southern areas had little or no snow.

Three northern Michigan counties declared a State of Emergency in the wake of the storm -- Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau.

"Bad. Really bad. Hard-packed snowy. Slushy," said Mark Evans of Kingsley in Grand Traverse County. Evans said he hasn't seen this much snowfall since the 1970s .

The damage from the snow was caused by two traits: quantity and weight.

"I don't think I've ever seen so much snow," said Heather Slater. Her family's home lost power.

"I was buried all the way up to my waist, almost, on Saturday," Slater's daughter, Shelby, said.

The snow blocked roads, brought down trees, and knocked out power to thousands.

CMS Energy Corp .says about 30 ,000 customers remained powerless Monday, down from 147,000. It says the Traverse City area of the northern Lower Peninsula was hard hit, with about 16,000 customers still blacked out in Grand Traverse, Leelanau and Kalkaska counties.

DTE Energy Co. says about 8,000 of 120,000 affected homes and businesses were powerless Sunday.

One of the obstacles to restoring power was that rural roads were still blocked with snow as of Sunday afternoon and repair crews could not get through to affected areas.

The storm displaced thousands of families.

The American Red Cross told 24 Hour News 8 that it is running three shelters in the affected counties and that there are two community shelters accepting people affected by the power outages. The shelters offered food, water, and a warm place to wait out the weather.

The Youth Rock Center in Kinglsey saw about 30 people come in and out on Saturday. Eight families spent the night.

"If we don't watch out for each other, we're in a world of hurt," said Diane Walton of the Rock Youth Center. "So I think it's good that community comes together and takes care of the people who need to be taken care of."

Though the snow was waist-deep in some areas, many city roads were clear by Sunday afternoon. Thousands who had lost power Saturday were back in their homes by Sunday evening.

Micah Shatteck, a newspaper delivery boy in Kingsley, didn't dare venture out on Saturday to deliver papers.

"I've only been doing it for two years, but for the two years that I've been doing it, it's not been this terrible," he said.

"It's been intense," Adam Brown said as he and his father shoveled out his Kingsley driveway.   "I've never seen snow like this before."

Brown lost power in his home for a day and woke up to a downed powerline in his front yard.

"It was about 5:30 in the morning, and all I could see is a bunch of branches laying right alongside the car and all across the driveway," said Brown. "So we're like, 'We're not going anywhere today.'"

The American Red Cross number for emergencies is 800.RED.CROSS (733.2767).

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24 Hour News 8's Crystal Hilliard contributed to this report.