April O'Neil / news@WHMI.com

Consumers Energy has begun restoring power to homeowners and businesses hit by the fierce storm that swept across the state Thursday night, causing damage from Grand Rapids through Southeast Michigan.

Over 1,000 lineworkers and support teams are working around-the clock and expect to restore most of their customers by the end of Sunday.

Consumers Energy continues to assess the widespread storm damage and, as of early Friday, had restored about 11,000 customers affected by winds that reached 75 miles per hour.

Over 660 crews joined the restoration effort, including crews from Kentucky, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Pennsylvania are expected to arrive in Michigan on Friday and Saturday.

“Our all-hands-on-deck effort will continue today and throughout the weekend to restore power as quickly as possible for all customers impacted by this severe storm,” said Greg Salisbury, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for the storm. “The safety of our customers and crews will remain the top priority as we work to make repairs, and we appreciate our customers’ patience.”

Salisbury urged people to stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, keep children and pets away, and report the issue by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy also asks the public to keep a safe distance from crews.

Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:

• Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.

• 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.

• Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Once safe to do so, clean-up 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.

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.