JACKSON — Consumers Energy crews will work to restore power today, Dec. 29, as high winds and snow continue a late-December surge of severe weather across Michigan, the utility said.
The company said it is prioritizing help for customers from Big Rapids to Midland after a blanket of ice caused heavy damage Sunday. Consumers Energy said it is deploying more than 400 crews as part of an all-hands-on-deck response.
“Michigan is facing a variety of weather challenges in the last few days, from ice to wind and snow. We are grateful for the resilience and strength of our customers, and we will work around the clock to get the lights back on for everyone we serve,” Norm Kapala, one of the company’s officers in charge for restoration, said.
The utility said today’s forecast calls for wind gusts above 50 mph and snow, following rounds of ice that affected 90,000 customers Friday and Saturday and again Sunday. Consumers Energy said it will delay immediate restoration projections for part of the day as it assesses the initial impact of winds expected to continue until this evening.
Customers can check outage status at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter and can sign up for alerts and restoration times sent by phone, email or text message by texting REG to 232273 or visiting www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts.
“We understand the frustration that comes with back-to-back storms,” Kapala said. “It’s still important for the public to remain focused on being safe, just as our lineworkers will do as they work around the clock to restore power safely and efficiently.”
Consumers Energy urged drivers to be alert to crews working along roadsides and to slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear before passing.
The utility also said people should stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050, adding that falsely calling in downed lines slows restoration.
The company said generators should not be used in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near air intakes because of the risk of hazardous levels of carbon monoxide.
It also said it will trim or remove trees interfering with restoration activities and that, once safe to do so, cleanup of debris from storm-related tree trimming or removal is the responsibility of individual property owners.
Consumers Energy said that in some cases the mast that holds electric service wires to a home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect wires, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable, the utility said.
Consumers Energy said it provides natural gas or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.