Michigan is reeling as a vicious winter storm leaves over 175,000 Michigan homes and businesses in the dark. The tempest slammed the state Friday, piling on more snow and fierce winds, with power companies scrambling to bring heat back to the shivering masses.
More people might find themselves powerless as gusts potentially hitting 55 mph in the Upper Peninsula and 40 mph in the Lower Peninsula threaten to exacerbate the blackout. Consumers Energy and DTE Energy's outage maps paint a grim picture with widespread outages across West Michigan. Areas such as Kalamazoo, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties are among the hardest hit, according to MLive.
Navigating the snow-clotted roads remains risky. Michigan State Police urging locals to avoid travel, with several cities requesting that drivers clear the streets to allow snow plows to scrape through the accumulating white.
In Metro Detroit alone, DTE Energy notes that a "wintery mix of heavy snow, ice and sleet" dealt a severe blow to their equipment. Those words ring true as Michigan's southeastern counties, already carpeted with 1-2 inches of snowfall, brace for another icy blanket, with forecasters predicting up to 4 inches more, as reported by The Detroit News.
WZZM13 emphasizes preparedness in these icy times, advising residents to charge up electronics, gather emergency supplies, and unplug sensitive devices, as crews from nine states plus local contractors join the 400 crews from Consumers Energy in their quest to restore power amidst ongoing lake-effect snow conditions.
Michigan's frigid woes are far from over, with a winter storm warning established until 7 p.m. As the siege of snow and wind continues, the warmth of a lighted hearth remains elusive for many Michiganders.
