WEST MICHIGAN — More than 153,000 power customers lost their power this morning after a wave of severe storms rolled through West Michigan.
Based on numbers from several utility companies, the majority of outages are based in a line from Muskegon County to Kalamazoo County.
Consumers Energy reports it had more than 155,000 customers across the state without power. Most of those outages were in West Michigan.
Indiana Michigan Power says nearly 6,000 customers in Michigan didn't have electric service in the immediate wake of the storm.
Consumers Energy says it is bringing in additional crews to assist with bringing the power back. More than 410 crews were deployed to the field, with some coming from Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois.
“The damage created by this storm is widespread and significant,” said Chris Laird, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “We are moving every resource that we can into place ― including crews from our energy industry peers in the Midwest ― to ensure we can safely turn the lights back on for our customers.”
The company asks everyone to give its crews plenty of space to work, and drive safely around their workers who might be in the road to repair damage.
As of 9:44 p.m. Tuesday, more than 70,000 Consumers Energy customers had their power restored. Consumers Energy expects to have power restored to the vast majority of its customers by the end of Thursday.
If you spot a downed power line, do not approach it. You can report a downed power line through a call to 911 or by calling your local power company.
What to do if you don't have power
If you do not have power, you can report your outage to your utility company.
If you have a generator, be sure to put it outside in a well-ventilated area away from your home. Don't leave a running generator in your garage, basement, or other enclosed space.
If the power lines running to your home have been damaged, consumers will run new wires to your home. Any damage to the mast that supports the wire will need to be fixed by a licensed electrician.
What to do with your food
No power means refrigerators and freezers will not be able to keep food cold. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends the following:
- Have a refrigerator thermometer.
- Know where you can get dry ice.
- Keep on hand a few days worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling, which depend on electricity.
When the Power Goes Out
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
- The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
- Refrigerators should be kept at 40° F or below for proper food storage.
Once the Power is Restored
- Check the temperature inside of your refrigerator and freezer.
- If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
- If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. You can't rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
- Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible.
- Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more.
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