Consumers Energy Crews Beginning Restoration Work after Multiple Tornadoes Hit Southwest Michigan
Consumers Energy Crews Beginning Restoration Work after Multiple Tornadoes Hit Southwest Michigan
Kalamazoo, Mich. Tuesday, May 07, 2024
Consumers Energy crews are on the ground in Kalamazoo, Branch and St. Joseph counties this evening following a major storm system moving through the southwest portion of the state, bringing with it at least two confirmed tornadoes and significant debris. While damage assessments and debris removal are in the preliminary stages, crews are prepared to work around the clock, with the intention of restoring power to the majority of customers in the region by end of day tomorrow.
“The damage we have already seen, both in photos and from our crews on the ground, is severe, and we know our number one job right now is to get the power back on for families and community members impacted by this storm,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “While we are still assessing the extent of the damage in the region, we are all-hands-on-deck to ensure that those impacted by this storm do not have to worry about their power among their list of concerns.”
The storm system that brought the tornadoes with it continues to move through the state, with portions of the northwestern region of the state still potentially facing severe weather later this evening and into the early morning hours. Customers can continue to check the status of outages at 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.
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:
- Be alert to crews working along roadsides. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past.
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and to report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy reminds people that falsely calling in downed lines actually slows down the restoration process for everyone.
- 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 Contact: Tracy Wimmer, 517-539-4465 or tracy.wimmer@cmsenergy.com