People should stay off the roads and in their homes until the ice storm danger passes, authorities said. Falling trees and downed power lines are among the hazards.

Northern Michigan was hit with an ice storm this weekend that knocked out power, crippled travel, and led to the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).

Large portions of northern Michigan are without power due to ... downed wires, and fallen trees," Great Lakes Energy said. "Heavy ice accumulation has brought trees down onto power lines and roadways, creating hazardous conditions and making some areas ...

Local emergency officials in Okemos, Michigan, and the National Weather Service are still determining how much Sunday's severe storm impacted neighborhoods.

This is easily the worst ice storm in modern times — in the last 50 years — and you have to go back all the way to 1922 to find something even remotely close,” said Harold Dippman, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Gaylord.

Bainbridge said there are things you can do before the next storms arrive to protect yourself and your property from tree damage. The best thing to do is walk your property and look to see if any trees look unhealthy. One sign of an unhealthy tree is if there are fruiting bodies of mushrooms growing near the base of the tree.

Progress was being made mid-week in returning power to thousands across Northern Michigan. Meanwhile, the Michigan National Guard has been deployed to help with recovery efforts.

It could take several days before power comes back on in parts of Northern Michigan in aftermath of an ice storm.

The northern Michigan ice storm left thousands without power, trapping some in their homes. Photos showed massive damage.