The new year is still young, but it has delivered its first power outage to some areas. A large portion of Clark Lake lost power early today, the result of trees creating havoc on power lines. After freezing rain Saturday, snow fell this morning adding weight to already overburdened branches.

Just as power returned to one area, another was hit by an outage. A branch fell on a transformer at Jefferson and Sandy Beach Roads, Clark Lake. There was a pop, flash, and the lights went out.

Reviewing the days events, it’s worth knowing about three resources. Consumers Energy is responsible for the powerline to your house. Once it touches your residence via the mast, it’s your responsibility. If the mast is damaged, you’ll need a licensed electrician. A Plus Electric is ready for your call at 517-529-0000 or click the emergency button from your smartphone on this website.

The second resource is Consumers Energy’s outage center. You can sign up for text and emails to tell you about your outage including the expected time of restoration. At the same site, you can view the outage map that shows the extent of outages at any given time.

The third resource is having your own backup—a professionally installed generator that runs on natural gas. Power goes out, and it comes on automatically. To learn more about it, please watch Carl Evanson explain what’s involved in this video.