Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday deployed the Michigan National Guard to Northern Michigan to assist with recovery from Sunday's ice storm.

In addition to the deployment, the governor also signed two executive orders adding Alcona and Antrim counties to the state of emergency. The orders also lifted trucking restrictions in the counties to help get fuel and critical supplies to impacted areas faster.

"We are continuing our all-hands-on-deck approach to help families and communities impacted by the storms in Northern Michigan," said Governor Whitmer.

"Power restoration is a top priority, and I’m grateful to our utility partners for positioning hundreds of utility workers to help get power back online as fast as possible. State and local emergency teams are on the ground, and the Michigan National Guard will join them to clear roads, keep people safe, and help first responders get to where they need to go. We will get through this together."

The National Guard is deploying two teams that have specialized equipment and training to help clear roadways and areas with debris. The Michigan National Guard is also assisting the MyMichigan Medical Center in Alpena to stand up to a temporary shelter to support overflow.

The executive orders adding Alcona and Antrim counties to the state of emergency raises the total number of counties under the order to 10. The other counties include: Otsego, Oscoda, Montmorency, Presque Isle, Emmet, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Mackinac and Alpena counties.

Photo courtesy of Bryan Tabit on Facebook.