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Michigan Power Outages Near 100,000 as Wind-Driven Winter Storm Hits

Lingering ice combined with 60 mph gusts is toppling equipment, slowing repairs, leaving restoration timelines unclear.

Overview

  • Statewide outages nearly doubled overnight to almost 100,000 customers, with the heaviest impacts in mid‑Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.
  • Clare, Osceola, Mecosta and Isabella counties form the core mid‑Michigan cluster, while Marquette, Menominee, Delta and Iron counties report high tallies in the U.P.
  • Utility officials trace the failures to roughly a half‑inch of ice from Friday that persisted through the weekend, then refroze after Sunday rain as winds intensified.
  • Consumers Energy has mobilized large repair forces, including about 500 crews reported earlier, yet companies have not posted firm restoration estimates.
  • The National Weather Service cites sustained winds of 25–35 mph with gusts near 60 mph, including a buoy‑measured 72 mph gust near Sault Ste. Marie, and warns totals could rise.