2013 Winter Storm Ion

Just before Christmas (December 22, 2013), mid-Michigan is hit by a devastating ice storm.  It causes more than 660,000 power outages state wide…including our subdivision   Shortly after we wake up on Sunday morning, our electricity flickers off and on a couple of times and then everything goes dark.... 

 

We prepare for the worst.  We close the window curtains to try and keep the warm air in and the cold air out for as long as possible.  We turn on the gas fireplace (no blower) for some heat and hang curtains in the doorways to confine the “heated” area.  We have a large plastic bin in the basement filled with items (flashlights, batteries, card games, etc) for emergencies.  During this time, I realize how much I take electricity for granted.  We have some battery-operated devices.  We can watch a movie on our portable DVD player or play games on my Nook tablet but their battery life is limited and eventually they will need charging.   By Monday night, the house temperature is 50 degrees F and the outside temperature is near single digits.  We are not looking forward to spending the night in our increasingly cold house but the closest hotel with electricity does not have any vacancies.  We are thankful when our power is restored later Monday night.  My heart and prayers go out to the people who did not have electricity for 7+ days.    

 

According to a WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids, MI) interview with a Consumers Energy spokesperson, this ice storm was “ … one of the worst storms in our 126 year history.”