Monday afternoon, more than 8,000 Great Lakes Energy (GLE) members scattered across 22 of the cooperative’s 26 counties remain without power as crews work to restore outages caused by a powerful winter storm that has included ice, heavy snow, and strong winds. The storm, which began late Sunday, follows an earlier round of freezing rain that caused outages in some of the same areas late last week. GLE line crews and contractor crews continue to make steady progress in the face of challenging conditions. The ongoing severe weather is causing additional outages as others are restored.

The hardest hit areas include Antrim, Charlevoix, Kalkaska, Lake, Mason, Newaygo, and Osceola counties.

All available GLE crews, along with additional contracted electric and tree crews, will continue working into the evening to restore power to our members as quickly and safely as possible.

For those without power, please remember to always use a transfer switch to connect generators properly, stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, trees, or electrical equipment, and do not approach or engage with line crews working to restore power.

For residents with limited options, Michigan 2-1-1 is a local resource available to connect those in need with lodging, food, or assistance. Visit www.mi211.org to learn more.

Release courtesy of Great Lakes Energy.