Power (almost) restored as crews work through the night

Consumers Energy says they've restored power to over 3/4 of customers impacted by Tuesday's storm. Less than 42,000 are left to go as outages stretch from mid-Michigan to north of Saginaw Bay.

SEE THE STORM: PHOTOS: Severe thunderstorm rolls through West Michigan

“We appreciate the dedicated effort of so many lineworkers from Michigan and as far away as Alabama and Arkansas, and the grace our friends and neighbors have shown these last couple of days,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “We’re working as hard and safely as we can to finish the job today for the communities we serve.”

Safety Reminders

• 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 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 [consumersenergy.com] .
• 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.

Keep an eye on outages as work continues here .