As of 11:30 AM WPS is reporting that around 25,000 customers are still without power.
They say the Lakeland area is the hardest hit with extensive damage.
So far 37,000 customers have been restored and more areas are expected to regain power by tonight. However, it still looks like some customers will be without power until Sunday.
There are 180 restoration workers out today. Some of those workers were called in from as far away as lower Michigan.
The first priority of WPS is to make areas safe before restoring the power. So you may see crews cleaning up an area and the power still being out.
More tips from WPS for what to do after a storm:
Don't try to cut or remove down trees or branches unless you are absolutely certain power lines are not involved. A licensed tree removal company may be a better option.
· Replenish your supplies of batteries, bottled water and non-perishable food items. Test storm equipment regularly.
· Have a licensed electrician disconnect your generator unless the generator has an automatic disconnection device.
· If the storm leads to an outage, please be patient while we work to restore your power.
· Understand who is responsible for making repairs before power can be turned back on.
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Down Power Lines
· Stay away from down or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near them (i.e., trees or tree limbs, cars, ladders).
· Consider all down power lines and anything touching them energized and DANGEROUS! Stay away from them and report the problem to WPS.
· Keep children and family pets away from areas where lines may have fallen (backyards, fields, school yards, etc.).
· If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car and call 911. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire, or other immediate danger, jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground.
Follow @WIPublicService on Twitter for more updates.
View a current outage map here.
