Deadly thunderstorms pummel Michigan; governor declares state of emergency

• Three die in a crash near Climax, in Kalamazoo County.
• Largest utilities reported 168,000 customers without electricity.
• Consumers Energy: Weekend showcased Micigan's "unpredictable weather."

A wave of fierce thunderstorms, freezing rain, and high winds raked Michigan’s Lower Peninsula — along with other Midwest states — on Sunday, leaving three dead, roads impassable and hundreds of thousands in the state without power.

And Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency in 10 northern Michigan counties — Ostego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac, and Alpena — to "get help out the door as fast as possible."

"We're going to keep working closely with local first responders and emergency teams to make sure folks get the support they need," she said. "We'll get through this together. Like we always do."

Three people were killed in a crash near Climax, in Kalamazoo County, as strong storms moved through the area Sunday and a felled tree hit a car, according to National Weather Service, police and news reports.

Victims names were not released.

And by about 1:30 p.m. Monday, the two largest utilities in the state — DTE and Consumers Energy — still had 168,000 customers without electricity. DTE’s outage center showed 15,500, mostly in the metro area, and Consumers, more than 152,000.

That was down from more than 227,000 from the night before.

"This weekend has showcased all of the unpredictable weather that Michigan experiences," Chris Fultz of Consumers Energy said late Sunday, adding that the utility was dispatching more than 600 crews "to restore power across the state."

Consumers, based in Jackson, said its crews were working round-the-clock and on track to restore power to most of its customers in northern Michigan on Tuesday, and the hardest hit areas on Wednesday.

The weather on Monday — the last day of the month — in Southeast Michigan is expected to be drizzly, with temperatures in the 40s, which are expected to fall into the high 20s during the night.

The high Tuesday should be about 45, but be in the 60s Wednesday and Thursday.

The weekend weather, which, in addition to Michigan also swept across Wisconsin, Indiana and Ontario, Canada, came in waves, leaving at least an inch of ice on trees in some places. One news report estimated the storms left more than 900,000 without power.

There also were reports of gusts that topped 90 mph.

In Valparaiso, Indiana, crosswinds may have blown over a tractor trailer on Sunday, killing the driver, according to news reports. The driver 34-year-old driver, the reports said, was found outside of the passenger compartment.

Last Friday, the National Weather Service in Gaylord issued an ice Storm warning for Emmet, Cheboygan and Presque Isle counties, and by Saturday it was posting photos on social media of ice-covered trees, as, the agency said, "freezing rain continues to fall."

And Sunday, the governor activated the State Emergency Operations Center, with meteorologists closely watching the skies and ice and winds downed trees and power lines, leaving some roadways impassable.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.