(WXMI) — More than 161,000 energy customers in Michigan lost power during severe thunderstorms that rolled through Tuesday afternoon.
The majority of outages in West Michigan impacted residents in Kent, Newaygo, Mecosta, Montcalm and Ionia counties, according to Consumers Energy's outage map.
The storms arrived while much of the area was subject to a heat advisory.
Consumers Energy says they have crews who will work through the night to assess damages and restore power.
“We care about the customers we serve and understand the hardship of being without power with high temperatures. The state was slammed by a severe storm, with growing intensity, across the state knocking out power, trees and power lines to several communities,” says restoration officer Norm Kapala. “Crews are moving into position and will work through the night to restore power, focusing on assessing damage and restoration of critical customers first, ensuring we can get the lights back on for our customers.”
Visit the energy service provider's website for updates, or sign up for alerts by texting "REG" to 232273.
Drivers are asked be careful around roadside crews. The rest of the public is advised to keep a minimum of 25 feet away from downed power lines. Report downed lines to 911 and Consumers Energy (800-477-5050).
DO NOT use a generator in enclosed spaces. Read this for more safety tips.
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