MICHIGAN — Consumers Energy says it has restored power to more than three-quarters of customers affected by Tuesday’s storm. Fewer than 42,000 customers have yet to be served as outages stretch from central Michigan to north of Saginaw Bay.
“We appreciate the dedicated efforts of so many line workers from Michigan and even as far away as Alabama and Arkansas, as well as the willingness of our friends and neighbors to help over the last few days,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s restoration officials. “We are working as hard and safely as possible to finish the job for the communities we serve today.”
Safety instructions
- Be aware of workers working on the side of the road. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait until oncoming traffic is clear so they can pass safely.
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and report downed unattended lines to 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy points out that false reports of downed lines actually slow down the restoration process for everyone.
- Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio, or near air intakes. This could cause a generator to produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless, and deadly gas. For more information on using generators safely, click here (consumersenergy.com).
- Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees that impede power restoration. As soon as it is safe to do so, cleanup of waste created by trimming or removing trees during a storm emergency is the responsibility of individual property owners.
- In some cases, the pole that supports power lines to a home or business may be damaged or downed. Workers will reconnect the lines to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a pole or cable.
Be aware of outages as work continues here.
