Restoration Work Continuing Through the Night for Customers Still Without Power after Sunday’s Storms

WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 5, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — Additional crews are headed to areas of northern Michigan hardest hit by Sunday’s severe weather as power restoration work is wrapped up in other portions of the state.

As of 9 p.m., approximately 23,000 Consumers Energy customers remained without power across Michigan. Almost all of the customers are located north of U.S. 10, where Sunday’s series of severe thunderstorms caused the most damage. More than 164,000 customers lost power during the storms.

“As we complete restoration work in southern portions of Michigan, we are moving crews north to supplement the company and contractor crews already there doing great work,” said Mary Palkovich, vice president of energy delivery. “We will have large number of crews working in concentrated areas so we ask the public to exercise additional caution when driving in areas where debris removal, damage assessment and restoration are underway.”

Most affected customers should have their power restored by late Wednesday. In Leelanau, Grand Traverse and Ogemaw counties, complete restoration is expected to be late Thursday. The public is encouraged to check for updated restoration information at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/outagemap.

Palkovich said to remain aware of these important facts:

· Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and anything they are touching. If you see a downed wire, immediately call 911 and Consumers Energy at 1-800-477-5050. There is a significant amount of debris and numerous downed wires in these hard hit areas. The public should always assume that a downed wire is energized.
· Proper installation and operation of emergency generators is a necessity. If using a generator, contact a licensed electrician to ensure that it is properly connected and, for the safety of our line workers and first responders, make certain it is isolated from the company’s electric distribution system. If it is not properly isolated, electricity can be “back fed” over the company’s power lines, creating a hazard to anyone who comes in contact with nearby wires. Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement or near any air intakes, and never fuel a generator when it is running. Proper ventilation will eliminate the creation of dangerous carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas which can be deadly.

As of 9 p.m., Counties most affected by electric interruptions were Antrim (1,416); Arenac (586); Crawford (914); Gladwin (698); Grand Traverse (1,811); Iosco (1,919); Kalkaska (1,907); Kent (115); Leelanau (5,558); Muskegon (130); Ogemaw (6,199) and Oscoda (1,054) and Roscommon (296).

Residents with concerns about staying in their home during an extended outage are encouraged to call 2-1-1 to learn about available resources, including shelters.

Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.6 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

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Media Contacts: Roger Morgenstern, 616-530-4364, or Terry DeDoes, 517-374-2159
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For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.