Monday’s storm comes just days after freezing rain knocked out power for 30,000 customers across Mid-Michigan on Friday.
MICHIGAN, USA — Consumers Energy has mobilized nearly 500 crews ahead of a winter storm set to plunder the lakeshore on Monday.
A powerful storm system will rapidly strengthen over Michigan Sunday into Monday, which will bring a variety of impacts into Monday evening.
Wind gusts over 50 mph are likely, along with several inches of blowing snow.
Consumers Energy’s mobilized crews will be ready to begin responding to outages around 10 p.m. on Sunday when wind gusts begin in southern Michigan and then continue statewide.
“We have been watching the forecast closely and want our friends and neighbors to know our crews will be ready to respond,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s officers in charge of restoration. “We understand it can be frustrating to see more storms for the second time in a week, and we are committed to restoring power to our customers as quickly and safely as we can.”
Monday’s storm comes just days after freezing rain knocked out power for 30,000 customers across Mid-Michigan on Friday.
Customers can check the status of power outages on the Consumers Energy Outage Map.
You can sign up for outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message by texting “REG” to 232273 or by visiting online here.
Consumers Energy also provided these safety tips:
- 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 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.
- 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.