Consumers Energy Restores Power to Over 32,000 Customers After Severe Storms hit Michigan
Consumers Energy Restores Power to Over 32,000 Customers After Severe Storms hit Michigan
Jackson, Mich. Thursday, August 04, 2022
Consumers Energy has restored power to over 32,000 homes and businesses after winds that topped 60 mph swept across Michigan yesterday afternoon and evening. The energy provider expects to restore power to a majority of the 51,000 customers affected by the storm by 11 p.m. Thursday, with a few of the hardest hit areas by 9:00 a.m. Friday.
“Our crews made great progress overnight to complete damage assessment and begin restoring customers impacted by the high winds and storm,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s officer in charge for today’s power restoration work. “Over 177 crews will continue working around the clock today in less than favorable restoration conditions.”
With 177 Consumers Energy and contractor crews, and more on the way, are currently working from Lake Michigan to Flint restoring power in 11 southern counties. As of 5:45 a.m., less than 52,000 customers were without power. The majority of outages are in Allegan, Barry, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Jackson, Calhoun, Washtenaw and Genesee counties.
Consumers Energy crews are working even as more rain continue to hit the state. Restoration times can vary depending on changing weather conditions. Customers can report an outage and check the status of outage by visiting www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter. They 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.
Packard 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.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our crews and customers while this restoration event continues,” Packard said. “Please slow down if you come across a Consumers Energy crew so everyone can go home safely.”
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 that holds the electric service wires to a 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.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
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Media should call 1-800-557-4625 to reach a Consumers Energy Media Relations representative 24/7.