MICHIGAN, USA — After a storm barreled through Michigan, more than 161,000 homes and businesses were without power Tuesday evening.
Consumers Energy says their crews will work through the night to restore power, focusing on critical customers first. Around 9:30 p.m. they shared an update that they had 300 crews out working to restore power.
Lineworkers can work as long as 16 hours at a time, Consumers officials say. Work will continue until power is restored to everyone.
“We care about the customers we serve and understand the hardship of being without power with high temperatures. The state was slammed by a severe storm, with growing intensity, across the state knocking out power, trees and power lines to several communities,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “Crews are moving into position and will work through the night to restore power, focusing on assessing damage and restoration of critical customers first, ensuring we can get the lights back on for our customers.”
The areas with the most outages were north and northeast of Grand Rapids as well as north of Mount Pleasant.
The National Weather Service Grand Rapids reported that wind speeds were up to 60 mph and there was possible hail.
13 ON YOUR SIDE viewers sent in photos and storm reports of traffic delays due to trees and power lines being downed, especially in the Muskegon area.
Storm photos in Michigan 8/27
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:
- Be alert to crews working along roadsides. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past.
- 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. Consumers Energy reminds people that falsely calling in downed lines actually slows down the restoration process for everyone.
- 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.
Check the status of your outages using their map here. You can also sign up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message by texting ‘REG' to 232273 or visiting their website here.
