HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Consumers Energy officials say nearly all electric customers now have power, as utility crews continuing repairing damage caused by a series of storms that hit the state between Tuesday and Thursday.
“We are very pleased with the progress made given the extent of the damage,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president for electric operations. “With much of the state wrapped up, we’re consolidating crews in the southernmost counties in our final push for this storm.”
St. Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale and Jackson counties experienced significant damage when the third wave of the storm rolled through early Thursday. Packard hosted a call with local leaders and emergency officials in those regions earlier today to update them on progress and answer questions.
“Our co-workers – including those helping from other energy companies – go above and beyond to serve our customers,” said Packard. “To those who have sent words of gratitude, know that it means the world to these crews – Thank you.”
The effects of Thursday’s storm ranks among the 10 most-significant in company history with more than 7,000 wires down and over 200 poles damaged across Michigan. Some repairs include upgraded poles, conductors and crossarms expected to withstand higher wind speeds and greater tree damage.
People can visit ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter to see repair programs or get outage alerts and restoration times by phone, email or text message — text ‘REG’ to 232273 or visit ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts.
Consumers officials offered the following safety tips:
- If traffic lights are out, treat them as a four-way stop and use caution moving through intersections.
- 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.
- Keep generators 20 feet from your home or business and never use one in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas.
- Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable, which may have been damaged or torn away by the storms. The mast holds the electric service wires to a customer’s home or business.
Consumers Energy crews will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration efforts. Debris clean-up from tree trimming or removal during a storm emergency is individual property owners’ responsibility.
