SUNDAY 12/12/2021 7:36 a.m.
(WFRV) – Over 10,000 customers across Wisconsin suffered power outages on Friday and Saturday due to the strong winter storm.
According to Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), the storm caused significant damage to power lines and WPS electric equipment resulting in so many outages across Northeast Wisconsin.
“Our crews have encountered significant damage as they’ve worked as safely and quickly as possible, including downed tree limbs, downed power lines, and trees falling into our electric equipment,” said Matt Cullen with WPS.
Officials say other challenges they faced were maneuvering around the slick, snow-covered roads while trying to make repairs.
Eventually, crews were able to overcome these hurdles and restore power to nearly 12,000 customers impacted. Yet, their work is still not done.
WPS shared that they still have customers who are without power. Crews are reportedly working to restore power to these individuals by Sunday afternoon.
In the meantime, WPS is urging customers to follow the following safety precautions:
- Stay at least 25 feet away from any downed power lines. Report a downed power line to WPS or a local law enforcement agency immediately.
- Clear any buildup of snow and ice from natural gas meters and appliance vents. A buildup of snow and ice can damage a natural gas meter’s piping or block appliance vents, trapping carbon monoxide indoors.
“We understand it is frustrating to be without power, and we thank our customers for their patience as we work as safely and quickly as possible to restore service to them,” shared Cullen.
Original Story: Marinette, Menominee counties experiencing power outages
SATURDAY 12/11/2021 7:50 a.m.
(WFRV) – As the winter storm continues into Saturday morning, two counties located in the Northwoods region are experiencing power outages, according to the Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) outage map.
As of 8:15 a.m., the WPS outage map reports that over 7,000 customers in both Marinette and Menominee counties are without power.
The WPS outage map states that 2,426 customers in Menominee County and 5,047 customers in Marinette are all being affected by the outage.
The source of the power outage has not yet been determined. Crews are reportedly responding to the scene. Local 5 will continue updating this story as it progresses.
