Traverse City News and Events

Storm Recovery Updates

Aug. 5, 2015

Recovery efforts continue throughout the region in the wake of Sunday's devastating storm. Here are several updates from local emergency responders, law enforcement agencies and more.

> Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties are both working to catalog damage from Sunday's storm and are asking for help in doing so. Traverse City residents who sustained storm damage are asked to email the City Assessor's office with the following information (to the best of your ability): parcel number, property address, public/private property, type of structure, description of damages, comments, photo, and the name of the person submitting the information. Questions can be directed to 231-922-4450. Leelanau County residents should call 231-256-9812 and report the address, property owner name and type of damage. Photos (with an accompanying address) should be sent to planning@co.leelanau.mi.us or mansorge@co.leelanau.mi.us.

> The emergency location in Glen Arbor is the Glen Arbor Township Hall, which has electricity, water and bathroom facilities. Red Cross and Salvation Army are coordinating with the Township Hall for assistance. The Grand Traverse Bay YMCA and Grand Traverse County Civic Center continue to offer showers, air conditioning and power outlets for residents without electricity. 

> Several area hotels report they are at capacity due to the number of displaced locals without power. One downtown hotel The Ticker checked with does have availability, and is quoting rates of $799 per night. 

> As of Tuesday, Dunn's Farm Road in Glen Arbor is still closed to traffic north of Trumbull Road to Miller Hill Road. Numerous trees are down blocking this road, rendering it completely impassable. M-22 is also closed to northbound traffic at Sunset Drive. Traffic can access Glen Arbor by M-109 from the west or M-22 from the north, though the public is highly encouraged to limit travel to provide emergency responders room to work. Cedar, Maple City and Glen Arbor continue to operate without electricity. A timeframe for power restoration is unknown at this time.

> Brush Pick-Up: Starting Monday, August 10, Traverse City crews will be conducting a brush pick-up for debris that accumulated after the storm. Pick-up will start on the east side of town and move west. Crews will only go down each street once. Pick-up is for storm debris only, and tree limbs cannot exceed four inches in diameter. Debris should be placed on the front treelawn or in the alleyway. For any larger limbs or downed trees, call Resource Recovery at 231-941-5555 or a local tree service.

East Bay, Garfield and Long Lake townships are also offering residents a free "yard waste pass" good for one trip/load of up to three cubic yards of material that can be dropped off at the county Keystone Brush Site at 2471 N. Keystone Road. Accepted material includes brush, stumps and branches up to 18 inches in diameter, leaves and grass clippings. Residents can pick up their free pass with valid ID (to confirm residency) at their designated township location: Garfield Township Hall (Monday-Thursday, 7:30am-6pm), Long Lake Township Hall (Tuesday-Friday, 8am-5:30pm) and East Bay Township Hall (Monday-Thursday, 7am-5:30pm). Keystone Brush Site hours are Tuesday from 12-7pm and Thursday and Saturday from 9am-3pm; extended hours are being offered Wednesday, August 5 and Monday, August 10 from 9am-noon.

> The Grand Traverse Sheriff's Office is increasing patrols to subdivisions without power. The Leelanau County Sheriff's Office has also increased its patrol efforts in areas most affected by the storm, and is manning traffic points until roadways are reopened. Emergency Management Coordinator Gregg Bird is cautioning residents to be aware of fraud during the recovery period. Anyone could pose as a construction contractor credentialed by the state or a federal agency such as FEMA, he says. "So be careful and work with your own insurance company regarding necessary repairs and tree removal on private property," says Bird.

> Food safety can become a major concern during a prolonged power outage. According to Michigan State University Extension, a refrigerator will keep food cold for 4 hours without power if unopened, while a full freezer will hold its temperature for 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full). Once power is restored, check the refrigerator/freezer thermometer. If it reads 40 degrees or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen. If any meat, poultry, eggs or fish have been above 40 degrees for two hours or more, however, they should be thrown away. If a thermometer isn't present in the appliance, check each package of food. If the food still contains ice crystals, it is safe to refreeze and cook. It's important to note that perishable food not adequately frozen or refrigerated can cause a foodborne illness even if it's thoroughly cooked. A chart on what's safe to save and what should be thrown away in your refrigerator/freezer is available here.

> At Wedneday's Grand Traverse County Commission meeting, Bird and County Commission Chair Christine Maxbauer are planning to recommend extending the state of emergency in Grand Traverse County beyond the seven-day period that expires next Monday (August 10). While the county has not yet been awarded state or federal funding to assist with recovery efforts, declaring a state of emergency is the first step in seeking those dollars. Bird notes recovery efforts will extend well beyond restoring power to the region. "This isn't over, even when power comes back," he says. "There will be homeowner losses, business losses and agricultural losses." Leelanau County has also "exhausted its response capabilities and reached out to the state for assistance by declaring a local state of emergency," according to a county press release.

> Grand Traverse County is working with the Michigan Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOAD) to seek assistance with storm clean-up. In addition, nonprofit Team Rubicon - which "unites the skills and experience of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams" - has members available who are specially trained to remove large trees and debris. The organization will be providing an assessment to local officials in the next 24-36 hours.

Photo credit: Grand Traverse County Emergency Management

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