Mother Nature is ending 2015 on a blustery note, with an ice storm and high winds expected Monday, less than a week after a Christmas Eve windstorm cut power to more than 188,000 Consumers Energy customers.
“As we complete restoration late tonight and early Monday, we are moving crews, making sure they get proper rest and restocking supplies for this next round of weather,” said Mary Palkovich, vice president of energy delivery. “We will be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws our way.”
Consumers Energy is wrapping up storm restoration in northern Michigan while it prepares crews and material for Monday’s weather. Current forecasts call for the most freezing rain in western Michigan. Ice accumulations of at least a quarter inch put weight on power lines and can cause outages. High winds, with gusts as high as 55 to 60 mph, are also forecast in west Michigan late Monday. Freezing rain is expected to enter southwest Michigan mid-morning and move north and east. More snow than freezing rain is expected in northern Michigan.
In addition to internal preparations, the company’s public safety liaisons have reached out to county emergency management and 9-1-1 dispatch centers in western Michigan. Consumers Energy works closely with local public safety during storms. They appreciated the proactive calls and solid lines of communication, Palkovich said.
As of 4:30 p.m. today, approximately 6,000 customers remained without service from the Christmas Eve storm. Consumers Energy is on track to restore nearly all customers by the end of Sunday. For the hardest hit areas in Northeast Michigan, including portions of Alcona, Iosco, Gladwin, Ogema, Oscoda and Roscommon counties, restoration work will continue into early Monday.
In other areas where power has been restored, Consumers Energy is asking customers who are still without power to call 1-800-477-5050 or report it online at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/outagecenter, to verify their outage. Even if customers have reported the outage earlier, the verification is a helpful planning tool for crews focusing on remaining outages after such a large storm event.
More than 1,700 workers from Consumers Energy, Michigan contractors and crews from five other U.S. states are engaged in the restoration effort. The storm brought down trees and damaged or destroyed more than 300 utility poles.
People are encouraged to regularly visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/outagecenter, click on the online outage map and then click on individual outage areas for estimated restoration times. Consumers Energy is updating these restoration times regularly as work continues across Michigan. The online map may be accessed by both computers and mobile devices.
Consumers Energy residential and business customers can sign up to receive outage alerts. Residential customers can visit Consumers Energy’s new website to set their alert preferences. Business customers can sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 232273 (CECARE) and providing their account number when prompted.
As of 4:30 p.m., counties most affected by electric interruptions were: Alcona (1,349); Crawford (179); Gladwin (355); Iosco (426); Mecosta (161); Missaukee (238); Ogemaw (950); Oscoda (581); Roscommon (590) and Wexford (285).
Consumers Energy officials also offered the following advice as the next storm approaches:
Keep several days of food that does not need cooking or refrigeration. Remember to stock up on infant formula and baby food if you have young children. If you plan on using canned goods, be sure to have a can opener that does not require electricity.
Keep several days of water on hand (about 5 gallons per person per day) in case your pipes freeze or you lose power.
Keep flashlights, a portable radio and extra batteries handy. For safety, battery operated lights should be used instead of candles which can cause a fire.
Keep a complete first-aid kit and a sufficient supply of prescription medications on hand at all times.
Keep a written list of emergency numbers near your phone. Most hard-wired (non-cordless) phones still will work even in a power outage.
If you have electric powered life-support equipment, before a power outage occurs, ask your physician, nurse or equipment supplier about emergency backup.
If using a generator, contact a licensed electrician to ensure that it is properly connected and make certain it is isolated from the company’s electric distribution system. Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement or near any air intakes, and never fuel a generator when it is running.
Downed power lines can be deadly. Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and anything a downed line might be touching and to immediately call 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 1-800-477-5050.