‘A generational storm’: Northern Michigan ice storm was worst in over 100 years

‘Agenerationalstorm’:NorthernMichiganicestormwasworstinover100yearsNORTHERNMICHIGAN—NorthernMichigan’sdevastatingicestorm,whichcrippledpowergrids,snappedtreeslikematchsticksandleftentirecommunitiesinthedark,isbeingcalledoneofthemostsevereweathereventsintheregioninoveracentury. “Thisiseasilytheworsticestorminmoderntimes—inthelast50years—andyouhavetogobackallthewayto1922tofindsomethingevenremotelyclose,”saidHaroldDippman,meteorologistwiththeNationalWeatherServiceofficeinGaylord.“It’sagenerationalstorm,onepeoplewilltalkaboutfortherestoftheirlives.” Thoughspecificstatewideicingrecordsarestillbeingassessed,theevent’sprolongedduration,relentlessrainfallandcatastrophicdamageclearlysetitapart.BetweenFridayeveningandMondaymorning,someareassaw2-5inchesofprecipitation—muchofwhichfrozetotreesandpowerlines,leadingtowidespreadoutagesandroadclosures. “Itwascatastrophic,”Dippmans