JACKSON, MI (WTVB) – Even though Consumers Energy says more than 98% of all electric customers statewide now have power after a series of strong thunderstorms last week, almost 5,000 customers remain in the dark across Branch County.
As of 3:00 a.m. Monday, 4,979 were still out in Branch County, representing 32.2% of Consumers Energy’s 15,472 customers in the county.
That list includes the studios of WTVB on North Angola Road in Coldwater Township. The Consumers Energy Outage Map now lists estimated restoration for the area around the radio station as 11:30 p.m. Monday, August 16.
“We are very pleased with the progress made given the extent of the damage,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president for electric operations. “With much of the state wrapped up, we’re consolidating crews in the southernmost counties in our final push for this storm.”
Branch, St. Joseph, Hillsdale and Jackson counties experienced significant damage when the third wave of the storm rolled through early Thursday. Packard hosted a call with local leaders and emergency officials in those regions earlier today to update them on progress and answer questions.
Thousands of workers, including contractors from seven states, have worked since late Tuesday to restore power to all 370,000 homes and businesses that lost power.
Consumers Energy officials say this storm was one of the 10 most significant in company history with more than 7,000 wires down and over 200 poles damaged across Michigan. In many areas, repairs included upgraded poles, conductors and crossarms made to withstand higher wind speeds and greater tree damage.
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