The storm is still the big topic of conversation wherever you go - it's interesting to swap stories of snow depths, trees down, length of power outages, and everything connected with the storm.
Driving around T.C. this week we've seen some really severe damage, and tons of utility trucks trying their darndest to restore power. Today we saw a huge tree down in a backyard which had destroyed a very nice deck. We saw another house with a big tree down in front, blocking their front door. We saw many large branches and trees on roofs, but I don't think any of the roofs were broken. We also saw a fire truck and some firemen trying to deal with a big branch laying across a power line, and the branch was burning and sparking. Branches are down just everywhere - it's mind boggling. The utility trucks are everywhere.
Shelters have been set up for people in several counties who have lost power, so they could keep warm. We've heard of shelters in Benzie, Leelanau, Grand Traverse and so on across the north. From all reports, Benzie and Leelanau got the full force of the storm and it had the biggest impact there.
Other families took rooms in hotels and motels until power was restored. The utility workers from out of town who came to assist were also booking rooms. We heard stories about the lack of availability of rooms - ranging from thousands of people being turned away, to one story that claimed a family booked a room in the closest motel that had a room open - Big Rapids!
On U.S. 31 South we saw a convoy of five big white utility trucks rolling into town to help out. Rumor has it that Consumers Power has trucks here from all over the state, and even from Indiana.
Dick has taken some great pictures of broken and bent trees and branches on our property. Some of this just blows my mind!
This tree blocks our dock:
This is pretty much what our yard looks like:
Wire, wire - can you find the wire in this picture?
Upstream from Basswood Bend, near the Dry Fly Lodge, the river is almost completely blocked:
Poor little red barn in the campground - no permanent damage, though:
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