Consumers Energy Reminds Public of Important Safety Tips as High Winds Continue to Blast Michigan

Consumers Energy Reminds Public of Important Safety Tips as High Winds Continue to Blast Michigan

Jackson, Mich. Monday, December 29, 2025

As high winds whip across the state today, Consumers Energy is urging Michigan residents to be careful and call for help if they encounter downed power lines. People should always assume a downed, unguarded power line is energized, stay at least 25 feet away and report the situation by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.

"We know this might sound familiar, but we can't over-emphasize the safety of the people we serve on days like this," said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy's Officers in Charge for restoration. "Consumers Energy is working to restore power as efficiently as we can today, but we also have to ensure our coworkers and our customers are taking every precaution to be safe."

Consumers Energy crews will be working to restore power to customers today as winds that already have topped 60 mph continue until this evening. Consumers Energy is prepared with more than 400 crews to respond to power outages that are possible across the Lower Peninsula.

The energy provider is paying particular attention to the region from Big Rapids to Midland where a blanket of ice caused heavy damage Sunday.

Consumers Energy will delay immediate restoration projections for most of the day today as it assesses the winds' initial impact. Customers can check the status of outages at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter. They can also sign up for outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text 'REG' to 232273 or visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts.

"We appreciate the patience of our friends and neighbors as Michigan endures today's blast of severe weather," Kapala said. "Above all else, we want to ensure our customers focus on their personal safety while we continue our work around the clock to bring back power to our state."

Consumers Energy urges the public to keep other important safety tips in mind:

• 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.

• 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 ofdebris 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.

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Media Contact: Trisha Bloembergen, 517-614-2689 or [email protected]