A significant portion of Grand Marais and Croftville was left in the dark due to a power outage that occurred Sunday, January 7.
The outage occurred between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m., and power was restored around 2:30 a.m.
In between, an emergency shelter was established at the Cook County Senior Center for those who had lost heat to their homes, as well as to those who might need other types of assistance in the wake of the loss of electricity.
At first, it was believed the outage was caused by a bad underground cable which was believed to have cut power to large portions of the City of Grand Marais east of Birchwood. But a search of the affected area revealed that a power pole had been struck by a plow truck near the Little League Field on Creechville Road which caused the interruption. While no tickets were issued by the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office, the city will ask for payment from the owner of the plow truck to cover the cost to make the repairs.
Assisting the Grand Marais Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to identify how much damage was done and assess the possible duration of the outage was the Cook County Emergency Management Office and the Sheriff ’s Office.
Arrowhead Electric provided two line crews to help in repair and restoration of the damaged line.
During the time the power was out, Valerie Marasco, director – Office of Emergency Management & Public Information, sent several messages via Boreal Access giving instructions to the affected parties about what to do if the problem wasn’t soon found and corrected.
Due to the cold, Marasco stated, “If possible, and it is safe to do so, people who have alternate means of heat or power are encouraged to shelter in place and assist their neighbors.”
People with medical related issues and vulnerable populations including those with young children and any elderly population who feel they needed a safe place to go were told to go to the Senior Center, which was temporarily staffed by personnel from Cook County Public Health & Human Services.
Bev Greene, director of the Cook County Senior Center, opened the center until all service was restored.
“Sincere thanks and appreciation are extended to the dedicated linesmen who worked tirelessly through the cold to restore utilities for area residents tonight,” said Marasco, adding, “Thanks to all who quickly mobilized to assist in managing this situation as many residents faced a dark and potentially frigid night. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and responsive emergency operations group that rallied to protect the community including the city of Grand Marais, the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office & Dispatch, Emergency Management & Public Information, Public Health & Human Services, Maintenance Department, and the County Administrator’s Office; and special thanks to the Cook County Senior Center for stepping up and opening their doors as an emergency shelter for those in need and offering accessible transportation.”
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