GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Energy crews across Michigan are on high alert as a powerful storm system threatens to bring near-blizzard conditions to West Michigan Sunday night into Monday.
Consumers Energy has positioned 500 workers on standby to respond to potential power outages from the incoming winter weather. Crews are being stationed in parking lots as strong winds and heavy snow are expected to impact the region.
"They'll work through the night for restoration, and then hand off tomorrow to our next team," said Rich Hotteman, Consumers Energy community affairs manager.
The utility company is particularly concerned about tree-related damage, which accounts for a significant portion of power outages.
"We always think about trees. 40% of our outages are tree-related," Hotteman said.
Consumers Energy is working to position materials and equipment strategically across the service area to enable quick response times.
"We work with those folks to just make sure we get the materials close to where they're needed, and those trucks enable us to be a little more agile and get the materials where they need to be," Hotteman said.
The latest winter weather threat comes just days after an ice storm knocked out power to 90,000 Consumers Energy customers late last week. That storm stretched from Big Rapids eastward toward Midland.
"It was very fairly tight band from like Big Rapids. It was mostly east of 131 over toward Midland. So there was a really tight band that went across there, but there was high impact in that zone," Hotteman said.
Drivers are urged to give utility crews extra room when encountering them on roadways and be prepared to slow down or stop to safely pass working vehicles.
Consumers Energy officials remind residents to stay away from downed power lines and call 911 immediately if they encounter them. Anyone who loses power should be mindful of generator placement to avoid hazardous carbon monoxide levels.
Customers can report outages and track power restoration progress through the utility's online system.
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