Severe thunderstorms and strong winds passing through northern Michigan last evening brought significant tree and power line damage causing approximately 7,990 Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G) members to lose power. A number of 911 calls reporting trees on lines and downed lines kept dispatchers and emergency personnel busy, and line crews worked all night removing trees from lines and repairing equipment to restore power.
PIE&G crews have restored 6,895 services, but 1,064 are still without power this evening. Montmorency County was hit the hardest, but outages are widespread across PIE&G’s nine-county service territory. Crews have found at least nine broken poles so far. A pole replacement typically requires a two-man crew for approximately 6-8 hours to complete, making the restoration process slower.
PIE&G has called in additional help from outside contractors, but due to the widespread damage and time required for tree removals and extensive repairs, efforts will carry over into Friday. Please make preparations and plan accordingly.
PIE&G is working to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible. The Outage Map at pieg.com will reflect progress being made. PIE&G members should contact PIE&G immediately at (800) 423-6634 to report their power outage or any downed power lines. Residents are cautioned to stay at least 25 feet away from any downed wires and to report them immediately to PIE&G, 911 or a local law enforcement agency.
