JACKSON, Mich — Storms that moved through Mid-Michigan on Friday left residents dealing with downed trees, transformer outages and power losses heading into the Fourth of July weekend.
At the corner of Franklin and Fourth streets in Jackson, Keye's Party Store lost power during the storm. Store employee Edward Beebe said he was inside when the lights went out.
"I was inside the party store watching the storm, and all of a sudden, the lights went out," Beebe said. "I came out and looked, and the transformer was down, the trees were down."
Beebe said he lives near the damage and his home is also without power.
The storm also disrupted holiday plans for Jackson resident Efrian Gonzalez, whose car was buried underneath an uprooted tree.
"We had plans to go see some family, but now, with a car like that, we cannot go nowhere," he said.
Consumers Energy issued a statement regarding storm impacts across Michigan and the Midwest.
"While we wish Mother Nature would have spared Michigan and the Midwest as we celebrate our nation's birthday, we are determined to work safely and efficiently to get the lights back on for our customers.
Consumers Energy also wants Michiganders to keep these safety tips in mind over the holiday weekend:
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy reminds people that falsely calling in downed lines slows down the restoration process for everyone.
- 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, cleanup 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.
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