JACKSON, Mich. -- Utility crews are still trying to get the lights back on to customers who lost power over the weekend due to the big ice storm up north and to thunderstorms that swept through on Sunday.
And they may need to stay in the field doing repairs through the week, as severe weather is in the forecast for several areas tomorrow.
At the time of this report Tuesday morning, Consumers Energy was reporting about 90,000 outages, down from the 260,000 over the weekend statewide. And Great Lakes Energy was reporting about 40-thousand outages, compared to 132,000 over the weekend.
Consumers Energy sent the following news release Monday morning:
Over 700 crews will be working today across the Lower Peninsula with the goal to restore power to most Consumers Energy customers who were affected by last weekend’s storms.
“We appreciate the patience of our friends and neighbors these last couple of days. We want to reward that patience by doing all we can to serve people in need today,” said Chris Fultz, one of Consumers Energy’s officers in charge for the storm restoration. “With more bad weather on the way Wednesday, we’re following our game plan to restore power safely and quickly across communities.”
Consumers Energy has restored power to over 60% of about 260,000 customers affected by the weekend weather. Work will continue in the hardest hit areas, particularly in ice-covered Northern Michigan, on Wednesday.
Consumers Energy today is warning Michigan residents to be aware and prepare for severe weather through most of the day Wednesday that likely will deliver high winds, hail and the potential for more ice. The company is continuing to add more lineworkers and resources to continue the around-the-clock effort.
Watch: Consumers Energy leaders talk about power restoration and the coming storm
“This has been an unusual week for Michigan weather, whether our customers experienced an inch of ice in some places or 90 mph winds and thunderstorms elsewhere,” Fultz said. “We want the people we serve to know we won’t stop working until we help everyone who counts on us, even if we see additional power outages Wednesday.”
Consumers Energy also is offering a free meal to customers today, beginning at 4 p.m. at the E-Free Church Gaylord Campus (1649 M-32 in Gaylord).
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:
- Be alert to crews working along the roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past workers on roadsides.
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and to report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
- Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause a generator to produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Read more guidance on safe generator use here.
- Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Once safe to do so, clean-up of debris from tree trimming or removal during a storm emergency is the responsibility of individual property owners.
- In some cases, the mast that holds the electric service wires to a home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows job No. 1 is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.
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