(WXYZ) — Consumers Energy is working to restore power to more than 168,000 customers in lower Michigan after storms hit Tuesday and most of Wednesday.
The latest outage update is as of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, with more storms expected through the evening.
“Since Tuesday night, we’ve restored over 50,000 customers but we are experiencing more storms and outages through this evening, so we appreciate our customers’ patience,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy vice president for electric operations.
Consumers can report outages here, and sign up for outage alerts here.
Consumers Energy also urges the public to keep these important safety tips in mind:
- 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.
