JACKSON, Mich. (WLNS) — At the peak of this week’s ice storm, Consumers Energy said it saw more than 230,000 customers lose power, with the worst of the damages occurring in the southern part of Michigan.
As of Saturday, there are still more than 100,000 people in need of electricity.
Officials with Consumers said Jackson County was hit particularly hard, with 34,000 people still without power.
The company said the reason so much damage was done was due to the ice and high wind speeds that reached up to 40 mph.
“We’re considering efforts to try to bury more power lines underground. We’re continuing to add technology that does have a meaningful impact when it comes to power outages,” said Brian Wheeler, a spokesperson for Consumers Energy. “Some of the work we did last year, we were able to reduce power outages by 20 percent in 2022. We want to get through this storm, and we want to get back to work to make the grid stronger and smarter.”
Consumers has 500 crews from four different states working to restore power to customers. It expects to have restoration completed by Monday.
DTE’s outage map reports that there are only a few hundred people without power in Ingham County, and a few thousand in Livingston County. But there are more than 230,000 customers without power across its coverage area.
Officials with DTE said the vast majority of customers should have their power back on by Sunday night.
If you are still affected by an outage, you can call 211 to see what help is available in your area.
