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Consumers hopes to wrap up restoration efforts Tuesday

Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president of electric operations, said they have been working diligently to restore power.

Fewer than 7,000 Consumers Energy customers remain without power after severe weather ripped through West Michigan over the weekend.

Consumers Energy crews have been working around the clock since Friday night after back-to-back storms rolled through West Michigan. The utility expects most of the affected homes and businesses to have power back by the end of the day Tuesday.

RELATED: How local businesses are helping during the power outages

Crews from six other states assisted Consumers Energy with the power restoration. More than 2,800 downed wires have been attributed to the storm. 

Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president of electric operations, said they have been working diligently to restore power.

RELATED: Tree falls on car while man driving down 28th Street

"We sincerely appreciate our customers’ patience, and continue to encourage people to check in on family, friends and neighbors, and seek out cooling centers or other resources in their communities as needed," he said. 

Consumers Energy continues to urge the public to stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and report the issue to 911 or by calling 800-477-5050. 

RELATED: AG: Consumers, DTE customers can apply for bill credit if without power for more than 16 hours

CONSUMERS ENERGY SAFETY TIPS

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 that 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.

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