KENT COUNTY, Mich. —
Sparta resident Jodi Miller didn’t know there was a storm brewing until she watched the dark clouds roll in.
“Our boss called and said we should go home,” Miller said. “And I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what I would find.”
Water leaked into her basement. On top of the physical damage, Miller has been without water and power since around 3:00 Tuesday afternoon.
Thousands of Consumers Energy customers were without power, with over half having power restored as of Wednesday afternoon. Consumers Energy saw the need in communities hit the hardest and decided to provide a different kind of help.
“Obviously, we had some severe storms go through the, through the area last night. And we recognize the need, a lot of customers in this area, the northern Kent County, Rockford, Greenville areas,” Andy Snider, Executive Director of Electric Operations with Consumers Energy said. “Those customers rely on wells, and they obviously rely on refrigeration to keep, you know, food, cold. And so we recognize that need, and we put together an event to try to distribute as much ice and as much water as we can in the community to try to meet that need.”
With a truck full of water and ice, Consumers Energy handed out supplies to customers in Courtland Township. Hundreds of them.
“That's our objective when we do an event like this is to try to bring a little bit of positivity,” Snider said. “And like I said, there's a need out there in the community, and so this team's happy to serve, and I'm happy to be here with them today.”
Consumers Energy customers should expect power to be restored by Thursday. Most of the damage is clear, but if you come across a down power line Consumers Energy recommends staying at least 25 feet away in case the line is active.
Customers concerned about storm damage or power outages can contact Consumers Energy customer service at 800-477-5050, and monitor the status of outages here.