1:30 p.m.
About 140,000 Consumers Energy customers remain without power.
Crews have now restored power to over 95,000 customers since Tuesday, as of 11:40 a.m. today.
The majority of customers should be restored by the end of Friday.
Restoration work in heavily damaged areas, including Branch, Calhoun, Kent, Jackson and Saginaw counties, "may continue into the weekend."
The storm damaged nearly 5,000 electric wires and broke over 200 poles.
Consumers said over 1,600 workers and in-state contractors are part of the restoration efforts.
5:30 a.m.
JACKSON, Mich. – Consumers Energy says 240,000 customers have lost power since the first round of storms on Tuesday, but they're making progress.
“Our crews have been able to work safely and efficiently all night, restoring power to over 90,000 homes and businesses since Tuesday. With better weather in the forecast, we expect to continue making progress today,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president for electric operations. “We appreciate the patience of our communities and the customers we serve.”
Heavy rain and winds brought down trees and power lines and trees from Vicksburg to Zeeland to the north east side of Grand Rapids.
Consumers says they brought in 230 employees to aid in restoration efforts.
Consumers offered some helpful tips below:
· 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.
· Call 2-1-1 if you are looking for help connecting to temporary shelter or other resources that offer assistance in your community. 2-1-1 is a free statewide service.
· 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.
· 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 which holds the electric service wires to a customer’s 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.
