Snow and blowing snow chill the area

by Richard Lamb—Advance Editor

If you can read this from your home computer, stay there. Don’t go on the roads today, is the word coming from the Presque Isle County Sheriff’s Department (PISD). Dispatchers at PISD have been busy starting mid-morning fielding calls for help along the roadways.

A fierce storm blew through the area dumping maybe a foot or more of blowing snow. Poor visibility stopped, or should have stopped all traffic.

Several agencies were involved helping people out as they were stranded alongside of the roads. M-68 west of Rogers City in Moltke Township was the scene of many cars and trucks in the ditches. Several cars were stuck in the wrong lane, causing more problems. The road remained impassible for most of the day.

Business US-23 was closed for a while around midday as firefighters fought a vehicle fire. That caused traffic snags, as motorists tried to move through the area or head home for the day. Many businesses were affected by the storm.

The Advance, which is printed in Alpena, was printed, but the deliveryman could not make it back to put them on the newsstands.The newspaper will be delivered to stores Thursday morning at the earliest. Local delivery will be one day later than usual.

DaVita dialysis patients were housed at Hilltop Manor and the county courthouse closed early. Hilltop also welcomed others who may have become stranded in the sudden storm.

As of this writing (3:45 p.m.) westbound M-68 was closed at the US-23 intersection and officials were not allowing traffic to pass. Wreckers were busy pulling dozens of vehicles out of the ditch, causing the closure. The worst area was west of Ward Branch Road in Moltke Township.

Many tried to make it home, only to abandon their vehicle along the way.