Consumers Energy Assessing Damage, Preparing for Restoration Efforts After Strong Winds Pound Lakeshore, Cause Widespread Power Outages

Jackson, Mich. Thursday, December 16, 2021

Consumers Energy is mobilizing all available resources to respond after a storm featuring high winds over 60 miles per hour swept into Michigan overnight, causing damage across the Lakeshore while knocking out power to over 157,000 Consumers Energy customers. We are expecting sustained high winds through the afternoon today. In preparation for the storm, Consumers Energy prestaged over 110 crews, and right now has approximately 300 crews on the system working to prepare restoration efforts, assessing damage already caused, and de-energizing wires that have fallen.

“Mother Nature has hit Michigan hard again, but we are ready to respond in full force as soon as conditions are safe,” said Christine Wisniewski, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for the storm event. “Our restoration team including lineworkers, forestry crews, and restoration management staff have been prepping since Tuesday and are ready to start restoring service for customers once the winds die down. Based on current damage assessments, we expect most impacted customers to be restored by the end of the day Saturday.”

Severe winds hit west and northwest lower Michigan late last night and into this morning. Winds reportedly over 60 mph knocked down trees, limbs and over 1,200 power lines.

Restoration times are being determined once the high winds leave our region and a full damage assessment can be completed. Customers can report an outage and check the status of outage by visiting www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter. Customers can also sign up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text ‘REG' to 232273 or visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts.

Wisniewski urged people to stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, keep children or pets away, and report the issue by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy asks the public to keep a safe distance from crews due to health precautions and to allow them to do their work.

Consumers Energy also asks the public to keep important safety tips in mind:

• 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.
• Call 2-1-1 if you are looking for help connecting to resources that offer assistance in your community. 2-1-1 is a free statewide service.
• 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 which holds the electric service wires to a customer’s 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.

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Media Contacts: Josh Paciorek, 517-243-9036 or Katie Carey, 517-740-1739

The next news release is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec.16.