Ice Rain Hits the Great Lakes Region of the United States, Tennessee Faces Extreme Weather

On Sunday, March 30th, an icy rainstorm hit the states of Michigan and Wisconsin in the United States, causing trees and power poles to collapse, leading to power outages in some areas of the Great Lakes region. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted extreme weather conditions in Tennessee.

According to the NWS, central Tennessee is experiencing wind speeds of up to 70 miles per hour (112 kilometers per hour), with the possibility of tornadoes and hailstorms on Sunday night.

A total of over 400,000 households in Michigan, Indiana, and Wisconsin are without power. Churches, schools, and fire centers with electricity have been turned into warming centers. In some remote areas, power outages may last until Monday.

Ryan Brege, the general manager of the Alpena County Road Commission located 250 miles (402 kilometers) north of Detroit, Michigan, said, “Even though the calendar says spring has arrived, it still feels like winter.”

The power department in Alpena County reported that nearly all of its 16,750 customers (households and businesses) are without power. Many churches in Wisconsin and Michigan had to cancel Sunday services due to the power outage.

Calvary Lutheran Church in Merrill, Wisconsin, expressed, “Our prayers are with everyone’s safety!”

Local resident Jesika Fox in Alpena mentioned that she and her husband drove over forty minutes to find fuel or a generator. Their home has been without power since Saturday night.

Sarah Melching, the emergency services manager in Presque Isle County near Alpena, stated that the power outage affected nearly all 13,200 residents in the county. Melching mentioned, “There are still trees fallen.”

The government of South Carolina reported progress in controlling wildfires in the Blue Ridge Mountains on Sunday. The containment size of the Table Rock and Persimmon Ridge fires reached approximately 17 square miles (44 square kilometers). Some residents in Greenville County were evacuated on Saturday.

Derrick Moore, the firefighting operations manager in the southern region, said, “Thank you for your prayers. They have been heard, and it’s starting to rain.”

(This article referenced reports from the Associated Press)