MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — Unseasonably strong snow storms rocked Muskegon County on Halloween night, leaving nearly 40,000 Consumers Energy customers without power.
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday evening, more than 18,000 customers in Muskegon County are still without power.
Consumers Energy says they will have over 200 crews working through the evening in Muskegon and Ottawa counties to restore power tonight. They said they're aiming to make sure schools can open in the morning.
"We have contractors and Consumers Energy crews, all converging on West Michigan after this unusual storm," said Brian Wheeler, spokesperson for Consumers Energy.
Over 320 wires were reported down on Tuesday, according to the Muskegon County Central Dispatch.
"This was really an unusual storm, of course, in terms of the timing, as that heavy snow fell, it stuck on leaves and branches and trees. And so we saw, we've seen hundreds of wires that are down right now," said Wheeler.
Muskegon saw over eight inches of snow and other portions of Muskegon County saw close to a foot of snow on Tuesday.
Consumers also shared important safety tips for the public:
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed wires, keep children or pets away, and report the issue by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
- A portable generator should be placed at least 25 feet away from any doors, windows or fresh air intakes. Never operate a generator inside your home, garage, basement or enclosed area. Proper ventilation is critical.
- Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.
Stay up to date with power restoration with Consumer Energy's outage map.
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