GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With potentially severe storms headed to West Michigan on Wednesday, Consumers Energy is preparing for power outages and offering some tips to keep your home cool if you're impacted.
Strong to severe storms are expected to roll across West Michigan from noon to 8 p.m. The main threats of these storms are high winds, hail and the potential for scattered tornadoes.
Consumers Energy spokesperson Josh Paciorek said that while crews are preparing for widespread outages, no additional crews have been called in at this time.
"For this storm, we've been getting the crews that we have on our system up and ready to go to make sure that if there are power outages that are caused by the storm, that we're able to respond as quickly as possible, and we're able to get the power back on as fast as possible," Paciorek said.
Along with these storms, West Michigan is expected to see soaring temperatures and humidity on Thursday and Friday, with highs in the 90s.
"So with this additional heat, we're going to make sure that our crews are prepared and they are ready, they are equipped with water that they are having the proper rest times, things like that, to make sure that they stay safe," he said. "But we also want to make sure that if there are power outages, our customers are staying safe as well."
►RELATED: Severe weather threat expected Wednesday
Paciorek shared some tips to keep your home cool without electricity.
He said you can prepare for possible outages in advance by pre-cooling your home. Run your air conditioning over the next few hours, or open the windows in the morning to let cool air inside.
"The other thing that we like to remind people is using curtains, if they have their curtains closed during the day, they can actually keep the sun from heating their home," Paciorek said.
Paciorek said there is no plan to temporarily suspend the peak summer rates, which increase energy rates during the week from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
In the event that you do lose power because of the storm and your home is uncomfortable, there are cooling centers you can go to until power is restored. Call 211 to be directed to cooling centers in your community.
To keep an eye on power outages in your area and see real-time restoration updates, click here.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.