Though some areas were largely unaffected, others didn’t escape the storm’s wrath. Consumers Energy reports 212,000 outages, and there were many more when adding DTE customers. As of early this morning (Sunday), about 121,000 Consumers Energy customers were without power. Consumers notes “Severe weather that included high winds, lightning and hail has been responsible for over 2,600 downed wires across Michigan since Friday night. Consumers Energy is working to restore power to all affected customers by the end of the day Tuesday.”

CE says over 1,400 of their employees and contractors are involved in the effort to restore power, from lineworkers to call center representatives. “They include about 120 employees from energy providers based in Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky who arrived in Michigan on Saturday.”

Click here for the latest CE outage map. For customers of DTE, click here.

If the line to your residence comes down, what is the utility’s responsibility, and what is yours? Consumers Energy is responsible to repair a downed wire up to the point where it touches your house. If any part of the lead-in to your house is damaged, you will need to call an electrician. That includes the mast.

The first concern is your safety and those around you. Consumers Energy says “stay at least 25 feet away from a downed wire.” They add “steer clear of water, trees, debris and fences” nearby and contact them as soon as possible (800-477-5050). Carl Evanson, A Plus Electric’s master electrician, adds another note of caution “a downed wire can electrify areas much farther away than you’d guess as electricity disburses in surprising ways. The results can be tragic.”

A Plus Electric can be reached at (517) 529-0000. If using a cell phone, you can also use the emergency button on this website.