KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Over 30,000 were left without power in Southwest Michigan Tuesday night after severe thunderstorms and multiple spotted tornadoes.
Wednesday night Consumers gave an update that two thirds of those customers had power restored.
Consumers said they had over 175 crews on the ground working to restore power.
“We are working from top to bottom to get the power restored for every customer impacted by these tornadoes as quickly and as safely as possible using traditional bucket trucks, Flex Track vehicles, cranes, helicopters and drones,” said Chris Laird, Consumers Energy’s vice president of electric operations. “As residents continue to assess the damage to their homes and businesses, our primary aim is to get the lights back on for them with Consumers Energy crews working around the clock, and we are on target to have the majority of customers restored by the end of the night.”
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep the following important safety tips in mind:
- Be alert to crews working along roadsides. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past.
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and to report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy reminds people that falsely calling in downed lines actually slows down the restoration process for everyone.
- 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. Read more guidance on safe generator use here.
- 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 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.
You can stay up to date with outages and restoration times for Consumers Energy here.
The storms caused severe damage ranging from uprooted trees to roofs blown off buildings. Some homes and businesses were destroyed. While no serious injuries were reported, the Kalamazoo County Sheriff said there are an estimated 16 to 20 people who sustained injuries in the Oak Brook Estates mobile home park in Portage alone.
Officials confirm one woman was rescued from under her mobile home. In the nearby FedEx Center, about 50 employees were temporarily trapped inside when the roof and front of the building blew off.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has declared a State of Emergency for Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, Branch and Cass counties.
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