JACKSON, Mich., August 28, 2024 – Consumers Energy is working to help communities hit hardest by Tuesday’s powerful thunderstorms, providing water and ice in Midland and West Michigan today while over 360 crews continue the around-the-clock effort to restore power.
“We appreciate people’s patience as Tuesday’s storms caused devastation on one of this summer’s hottest days. Our focus now is to get the lights back on while making sure we’re providing comfort and relief to our friends and neighbors,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “Meanwhile, lineworkers made progress overnight in restoring power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses. Their work won’t stop today.”
Consumers Energy has restored power to more than a quarter of the over 170,000 customers who were affected by Tuesday’s storms. Many of those were in Kent, Ionia, Montcalm, Gladwin, Midland, Bay and Clare counties.
Residents who lost power will receive free ice and water today at two locations in severely affected communities. Consumers Energy will provide help at the Courtland Township Hall (7450 14 Mile Road NE, Rockford) and the Larkin Township Hall, (3016 N. Jefferson Road, Midland). Both events will start at 1 p.m.
Consumers Energy is continuing to bring more contractors and resources into the all-hands-on-deck effort. Lineworkers can work up to 16 hours at a time, allowing the effort to restore power to continue uninterrupted.
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 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. Consumers Energy knows Job No. 1 is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to providing reliable, clean and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.
Comments