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Consumers Energy: Power outages across Michigan some of the worst ever

Posted at 11:31 PM, Mar 09, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-09 23:31:52-05

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Hundreds of thousands of people across Michigan remain in the dark following those strong winds that blew through the state Wednesday.

With nearly a million customers knocked offline, Consumers Energy says it’s one of the worst outages in Michigan's history.

At the height of the storm, Consumers Energy says 220,000 of its customers were without power. As of Thursday night, approximately 120,000 customers remained without power.

With many people using generators at their homes, Consumers is reminding people to use them correctly, or the results could be deadly.

"People need to make sure that the generator is properly installed, " says Roger Morgenstern, Consumers Energy Spokesman. “They need to make sure the generator is outside and is vented outside and not even in an open garage or carport. Because even in that semi enclosed area, dangerous carbon monoxide fumes can get into a home. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and it is deadly."

If you’re without power and concerned about freezing temperatures, you can call 211 to find out where emergency shelters are set up.

Consumers Energy says all power should be restored for everyone by Sunday.

In the meantime, you can check out the latest outages on Consumers Energy outage map.