While high winds and deep snow kept most people at home Sunday and Monday, some professions could not take the day off.
The highway departments in Door and Kewaunee counties got only a few hours off Sunday night into early Monday morning before the next round of snow and wind hit the area. It will likely be the same story for Monday evening with clean-up efforts likely taking until Tuesday or Wednesday to complete.
As of 2:35 p.m., more than 1,500 Door County residents were without power due to the heavy snow and rain. The number statewide stood at over 2,100, but the linesmen for Wisconsin Public Service have restored power to more than 4,500 customers affected by the storm. WPS Spokesperson Matthew Cullen says the company is blessed to have a crew dedicated to getting the lights back on for thousands of Wisconsinites.
According to Door County Sheriff’s Department Captain Carl Waterstreet, several people had to be removed from vehicles that slid into ditches, while Door County Emergency Medical Services made a few perilous drives from Door County Medical Center to Green Bay for potentially life-saving care. Even local fire departments were out in the community, helping homeowners dig out furnace intake pipes, gas meters and other equipment to ensure safety. Waterstreet says it takes a team effort to get through a storm like this.
It takes a team effort for the animals, too. Jeremy Heim of Heim’s Hillcrest Dairy in Algoma says his team has worked hard to keep roads open so milk can be transported to the cheese plant in Denmark and feed can be brought into barns for the cows.
Team members have also picked up other employees for shifts and towed people out of ditches. Heim says he is thankful for the support of his team to ensure their animals are cared for during the storm.
Door County Medical Center had some of its operations shut down for the snowstorm, but some employees spent the night at the hospital to make sure that if patients needed them, they were available. Emergency room doctors and nurses, surgeons, lab technicians, and more were on site for when their moment to shine arrived. Door County Medical Center President and CEO Brian Stephens says they showed what it means to be a healthcare professional.
Schools, businesses and nonprofit organizations may face a second day of cancellations and postponements as cleanup continues. You can find a list of cancellations at this link.
