MERIDIAN TWP. – Residents in the Haslett and Okemos areas and throughout the Lansing region were busy cleaning up Wednesday morning after severe thunderstorms swept across Michigan, leaving up to 350,000 electric customers without power.
The storm uprooted trees and downed branches and power lines as it moved across much of the Lower Peninsula.
The Lansing area was not as badly affected by power outages as some areas further west, including Ionia and Grand Rapids, or southeast Michigan, although about 16,000 homes were without power at times Tuesday evening.
By Wednesday afternoon, the number of outages in the Lansing area had dropped to several thousand. Consumers Energy said most customers in the area would have power restored by midday Wednesday. Power in the rest of the state would be restored by the end of Wednesday.
Consumers reported that more than 190,000 homes in Michigan were without power due to Tuesday’s storms.
DTE Energy hopes to have power restored to 90 percent of customers by Thursday evening and noted that an additional 1,200 workers from outside the region would be working on the power lines.
The Lansing Board of Water & Light had about 150 people without power Wednesday afternoon and estimated restoration would be completed sometime Friday.
Lynn Sherwood, who lives in the 1100 block of Hillview Drive in Haslett, said the storm came through and knocked down a large tree that had been scheduled for removal years ago because of a pest infestation.
“My flower garden was not hit,” she said Wednesday morning. Her boyfriend’s house, which is on Haslett Road, was not damaged by the large tree. Sherwood said they have no power or internet.
Patrick Morris spoke with Consumers Energy workers Wednesday morning who were repairing his power on Cypress Street in Haslett. A large branch of his 75-foot walnut tree fell during the storm, blocking his street.
Morris’s power lines were destroyed, but his neighbor’s were not.
“That was luck,” he said.
About a block away on Harvey Street, a car was crushed by a tree branch and another car behind it also appeared to be damaged.
The Lansing Fire Department said it had been equipped to respond to “at least 39 weather-related emergencies” as of Tuesday evening, but no injuries were reported.
“The storm caused widespread electrical problems, downed branches and trees, and some hazardous traffic conditions,” the department said.
In Williamston, downtown was still without power on Wednesday morning. One traffic light was dark and most businesses were closed.
Dan Wygant, vice president of True Value Hardware, had the lights on.
“Generator, back,” he said.
Wygant said he has been doing good business, no one has anything major to do, but people stop by and talk about a few downed trees and minor repairs to their homes.
“Nothing big so far,” he said.
In St. Johns, two homes were significantly damaged by falling trees, said Police Chief David Kirk.
Several schools in the area remained closed on Wednesday due to power outages.
Schools in the Ovid-Elsie area have canceled classes due to power outages; Eureka Elementary in the St. Johns School District has also canceled classes. In Mason, Alaiedon Elementary is also closed due to power outages. Laingsburg schools are also closed, and HT Smith Elementary and Natalie Kreeger Elementary in Fowlerville are also closed. Junior high schools and high schools in Fowlerville were both open.
Contact Mike Ellis at [email protected] or 517-267-0415.
