OUTAGE UPDATE (Tuesfay, December 31, 4:30 P.M.): Cloverland Electric Cooperative reports approximately 14,500 outages remaining across its service territory. Over 10,000 of these outages are in Chippewa County where line crews are assisted by seven mutual aid crews from down-state.
Due to heavy snow load and ice on trees and power lines, progress has been slow. However, outage numbers decreased from the high of over 18,000 Tuesday morning.
Outages remain in over 300 locations primarily in the eastern end of the co-op’s service territory, so restoration times are unknown for this extended multi-day event. Crews will work into the night until mandatory safety rest is required. Restoration efforts will resume in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day.
“Mother Nature has not been very kind to us lately,” says Cloverland President and CEO Mike Heise. “Within the last 30 days or so, we’ve been hit with two storm systems reeling heavy snow and ice which never mixes well with power lines. Unfortunately, this outage event may be a historical record for Cloverland in terms of volume and duration.”
Due to the storm’s severity, Heise notes that members should prepare to be without power for several days as power may not be fully restored until the weekend. “We have mutual aid support crews from lower Michigan assisting our lines crews, but it’s a slow, arduous process. Some of these outages have multiple downed lines and fallen trees obstructing access which lengthens the timeline to restore power. We sent out the call for help, and we are fortunate that the brotherhood of line workers responded without hesitation,” he says.
As communicated Monday, Cloverland Electric members need to consider alternate arrangements as necessary to ensure their safety during this extended outage that will take multiple days to restore. Those who depend on electricity for medical equipment should continue an emergency back-up plan for alternate sources of power or alternate lodging. Members with unmet, non-emergency needs should call 2-1-1.
“We know that going without power is extremely difficult, particularly overnight with no certainty of restoration times. We appreciate the understanding of our members and their kind words, patience and support through social media and beyond,” Heise adds.
Cloverland Electric reminds the public to stay safe and stay clear of downed power lines and report them by calling 1-800-562-4953 or local law enforcement agencies. Members with access to www.cloverland.com and Cloverland Electric’s Facebook page can stay current on restoration efforts and planned updates at 6 a.m./10 a.m./ 2 p.m./6 p.m./10 p.m. However, the co-op reminds its members not use Facebook or other social media platforms to report outages, post service addresses or other account information.
OUTAGE UPDATE (Tuesday, December 31 – 2:00 p.m.): Progress on outage restoration is slow – but our numbers have declined slightly to about 15,000. Over 11,000 outages remain in Chippewa County, 2800 in Mackinac County, 500 in Luce County, 400 in Delta County and 300 in Schoolcraft County.
Additional mutual aid crews are teaming up with 18 Cloverland crews – yet we still about 300 outage locations to cover, so progress will continue to be slow going. Snow load and ice on trees and lines continue to challenge the restoration process since there are multiple issues to resolve for every outage location. Some of our crews have made progress and restored power and only minutes later, another tree will snap and cause another outage. By all accounts – from our line crews to system controllers – this historic event is extreme.
For this reason and for your safety, we ask for your continued patience and understanding during this extended multi-day outage event. Plan appropriately for overnight arrangements as temperatures will drop slightly tonight. Continue to report downed lines and trees on lines. Check on your neighbors. Keep vehicles fueled so you can charge your devices.
OUTAGE UPDATE (Tuesday, December 31 – 10:00 a.m.): Although our outage numbers have not decreased much yet (still approximately 17,000 out of power), we have good news: additional mutual aid crews will be arriving today to assist our Cloverland crews.
It’s all hands on deck – or in buckets, etc. – and we’re fortunate many of our 2-man crews are now 4-man crews thanks to our mutual aid assistance. A
lthough “many hands make for light work” applies in concept – we know the road ahead involves lots of heavy lifting for our crews to repair downed lines, remove trees and heavy branches from power lines and replace broken poles. We hope to have improved numbers in our next update at 2 p.m.
Meanwhile, we continue to ask for your patience as we work through what is expected to be an extended multi-day outage given the severity of damage from ice and heavy snow load. Please plan appropriately – charge your devices if you’re able to reach places with power. Check on neighbors. Be aware of downed lines and report them to Cloverland (1-800-562-4953) or local authorities.
OUTAGE UPDATE (Tuesday, December 31 – 6:30 a.m.): We begin this post-storm morning with approximately 18,000 outages across our service territory as follows: Chippewa County (12,600), Mackinac County (2,500), Luce County (1,600), Schoolcraft County (175) and Delta County (30).
This total accounts for more than half of our membership (33,000 members / 42,000 meters). Our crews will resume restoration efforts shortly and work into the night once again. With nearly 300 outage locations and many fallen trees, downed lines and broken poles, our Cloverland and mutual aid crews have lots of work ahead – so your patience will be greatly appreciated.
Even with daylight and improved weather conditions, progress will be slow, so please plan appropriately for this extended multi-day outage. We know mobile device battery life is limited, so our updates will be as follows today so you can check in accordingly: 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Stay tuned to our Facebook page and interactive outage map. Please check on your neighbors and take all precautions when traveling outdoors by foot or vehicle. Continue to report downed lines and trees on lines to 1-800-562-4953 or with our free SmartHub app.
