Travelers heading to northern Michigan may be shocked by damage left by ice storm, DNR says
Over 1,000,000 Michiganders are expected to travel for Memorial Day weekend, with many heading to the northern part of the state.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says people heading there may be shocked at the extensive damage left from the historic ice storm that swept through in March.
"Things will look different for people," Beth Fults with the DNR's ice storm response team said. "It was unbelievable, like you really couldn't even take in how much damage there was. It was like somebody just went in and knocked things over. It's just incomprehensible until you see it for yourselves."
The severe weather damaged around 3 million acres of land, including over 3,400 miles of roads, 19 state parks, 55 campgrounds, 169 boat access sites and nearly 3,300 miles of trails, according to the DNR.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The agency says every state park and lodging facility is back open after the storm forced temporary closures, though not every trail is back open.
"If people go up and those trails are closed, please stay off of the trails. Again, it's not for any other reason than to keep you safe," Fults said.
The DNR says that, while it's sad to see so many trees fall, the resulting wood debris will actually enhance the natural habitat for some amphibians and reptiles, including some snakes and turtles. Woodpeckers may also thrive with an abundance of dead trees.
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