Adrian, MI – Ice, wind, rain, and snow swept through the WLEN listening area for hours on Wednesday…stretching into Thursday… leaving thousands without power, downed tree limbs, and slick roads in its wake.
Many residents in Lenawee County were without power late Wednesday…as the National Weather Service issued an ‘ice storm warning’ into early Thursday morning.
Michigan weather will again live up to its unpredictable reputation…as today’s high temperature will be into the upper 40’s.
Municipalities and Power Companies have released information on the current power outage situation. Here is what they had to say just before noon Thursday:
City of Adrian:
Due to power outages, Adrian City Hall will be closed to the public beginning at noon today, February 23, 2023, and remain closed Friday, February 24, 2023.
Multiple streets throughout the City are currently closed due to downed trees and power lines. Several intersections are without power. Intersections without power should be treated as a 4-way stop. Please use caution when driving.
To report a tree down, please call 517-264-4876. For downed power lines, or emergencies, call 911. If you see a downed tree or lines with caution tape, it has already been called in – however if you see power lines arcing or smoking at one of these areas, please call 911.
Branch Pickup and Compost Site – at this time the focus is clearing streets and responding to emergencies, however the City does plan to open the Compost Site and collect branches. More information regarding that schedule will be announced when it is available.
City of Tecumseh:
• Tree Clearing – City DPW crews will be clearing streets first, starting with the major streets, and working their way down to neighborhood streets.
• If there are power lines entangled in the trees, they may have to wait to clear those trees until Consumers gives them the OK.
• Trees on private property are the responsibility of the property owner. The City will clear branches out of the street, but the balance of the tree is the property owner’s responsibility. If a street tree falls onto private property, the City will remove it, but property damage will be the responsibility of the property owner, and you should contact your insurance company.
• The City will schedule a tree limb and yard waste pick-up the week of February 27 to assist homeowners in storm clean-up. We will announce the days as soon as we assess the damage.
• Warming Center – Residents are welcome to use the City Council Chambers at City Hall, and we will be identifying other facilities as power is available/restored.
• Please remember to check on elderly or disabled neighbors, family and friends, to make sure they have what then need until power and/or phone service is restored.
• Other Questions – Please contact City Hall at (517) 423-2107 and for emergencies call 9-1-1
Midwest Energy & Communicaitons:
MEC reports that as outages continue to come in, about 5,300 customers are without power in southeast and southwest Michigan and northern Ohio. We are still assessing damage and responding to 911 calls to de-energize lines, which remains a first priority. Due to the number of trees down, crews are having difficulty getting to our lines to see the full extent of the damage. Additional crews and contractors are on hand today making repairs.
Two important safety reminders:
Stay at least 50 feet away from any downed line. MEC customers can report downed lines by calling 800.492.5989 or through the SmartHub app.
Do not approach crews and respect road closures. For the safety of both the public and repair crews, any outage questions should be directed to 800.492.5989.
Visit https://www.teammidwest.com/electric/outage-central/ for a complete list of areas impacted. For an overview of our restoration process, visit https://www.teammidwest.com/electric/outage-central/how-we-restore-power/.
Consumers Energy:
Consumers Energy continues to assess the extent of the damage from Wednesday’s winter storm and deploy crews for restoration work in the most impacted portions of the state. While some crews have begun restoration work already, the energy provider has more than 300 crews mobilized and ready to begin an all-hands-on-deck restoration process once it is safe for all crews to be deployed. More than 190,000 customers are currently impacted.
“Now that the ice and freezing rain have largely passed, we’ve got boots fully on the ground assessing damage and determining where and when to send our crews,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for the event. “Our focus continues to be restoring power as quickly as possible, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure our customers and our crews stay safe during this process.”
Consumers Energy spent the days leading up to the storm fully preparing, and damage assessments so far have been largely within expectations. Though restoration work has begun, the energy provider continues to monitor weather reports, including projections of higher winds. Restoration times may vary depending on safety conditions.
Customers can report an outage and check the status of outage by visiting www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter. They can also sign up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text ‘REG’ to 232273 or visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts.
Kapala urged people to stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, keep children and pets away, and report the issue by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy also asks the public to keep a safe distance from crews.
“Damage assessment is ongoing, and as the weight of ice on lines and tree limbs takes its toll there is a continued potential for hazards, so customers should continue to be alert and follow safety recommendations,” said Kapala.
Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:
· Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.
· Customers should call 2-1-1 if they are looking for help connecting to resources that offer assistance in your community, including warming centers. 2-1-1 is a free statewide service.
· 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.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
Detroit Edison:
Our Storm Response Teams, along with lineworkers from neighboring states, are working to quickly and safely restore power to all customers impacted by the extreme weather that passed through Michigan yesterday. We estimate that 95% of customers will be restored by end of day Sunday, Feb. 26. Please be safe and remember to stay at least 25 feet from any downed power lines — assume they are live and dangerous.