MICHIGAN, USA — With high winds sweeping across Michigan overnight, thousands of Michiganders have been left without power.
The Consumers Energy outage map shows that in West Michigan, widespread outages are still being attended to. In Kent County, over 10,000 people are without power as of Saturday evening. In Ottawa County, just under 4,000 people have been impacted, and in Muskegon County about 4,000 people are without power.
On Friday, Consumers Energy Media Relations Specialist and Spokesman Josh Paciorek said that 200 crews were prepared to restore power to the West Michigan region following Saturday's winds.
"While we’re mobilizing crews to get to the hardest hit areas, we expect high winds to continue throughout the day, making repairs difficult," reads an announcement on the Consumers Energy website. "We’re also going to work our hardest to get you the best estimated time of restoration possible, however, as we assess damage, those estimates may change."
Paciorek said that if crews are spotted along the road, drivers should give them space to work. Any downed trees or wires should also be reported.
Anyone without power using generators should be careful to keep the generators at least 25 feet away from any enclosed spaces to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
While it is predicted that the wind gusts have already peaked, gusty weather is expected for all of Saturday. Precautions should be taken during this weather, including securing outdoor items like lawn furniture or holiday decorations, charging electronic devices and preparing an emergency kit.
The Consumers Energy outage map shows that power will be restored across most of West Michigan by Monday. To see real-time updates on power outages and restoration times, click here.
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