TRAVERSE CITY — Consumers Energy says they’re prepared for an incoming ice storm, with more than 550 crews ready to respond to outages.
“We know what the worst case scenarios are in this case, and that is what we are planning for, and that is how we are crewing. That is how we are placing our equipment,” said Chris Fultz, Consumers’ Vice President of Low Voltage Distribution. “We are staging and preparing all of our logistics and support personnel to be ready for that worst case scenario.”
Consumers says that the areas around Traverse City, Boyne City and Gaylord are projected to be the worst impacted, with the potential for over 1.5 inches of ice accumulation.
Counties in that region include Otsego, Roscommon, Missaukee Crawford, Kalkaska, Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Alpena Montmorency and Oscoda.
Ice is also expected to accumulate in the northwest Lower Peninsula, including the counties of Grand Traverse, Wexford, Manistee, Benzie and Leelanau.
Some ice may also accumulate in the Upper Peninsula. Consumers cautions that weather conditions may not allow that ice to melt until later this week, and officials have encouraged caution when moving around the area.
Officials said that if outages occur, crews would continue to work 24 hours a day until they’re fixed.
Consumers says that anyone who sees or suspects a downed power line should remain at least 25 feet away, call 911 and Consumers at 1-800-477-5050.
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