A downed tree is seen on Monday following a severe ice storm in Northeast Michigan.

The recent ice storm has caused significant damage throughout our service territory, leaving many of our customers without power. Our at Presque Isle Electric and Gas crews have been working around the clock to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.

In a press release early Thursday morning, PIE&G says out of 35,000 total customers in its service area, over7,700 now have power now, and approximately 27,000 currently remain without power.

No update on when power will be 100% restored, but prior updates said it would take five days or extend to 10 or more for the customers is select locations. Customers are also encouraged to find alternate accommodations if possible until power is back up and running.

The number of broken poles continues to rise, with a total of 450 confirmed broken poles so far (270 added yesterday and 180 the day before). We estimate that number could climb to 1,500 or more before restoration is complete.

The Michigan Electric Cooperative Association has provided a helicopter to fly over our service territory, helping us assess damages and evaluate our restoration needs.

The power provider said it has at least 114 crews working on the system, which will increase to as many as 144 on Friday. Altogether, these teams include over 400 individual workers dedicated to restoring power and ensuring public safety.

“We are actively working with many levels of government including local, state, and federal, and we remain in constant communication about any help and assistance we may need to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Our governmental leaders understand the severity of the damage and I applaud their efforts to provide emergency support. That support conversation is still ongoing, and resources are continually being discussed and coordinated,” PIE&G CRO Allan Berg said in the release.

Berg went on to that he community for its patience, understanding, and generous support shown to our crews during this difficult time. For updates, visit https://pieg.com/outage-center/ and https://www.facebook.com/PIEGCooperative. To report an outage, call 1-800-423-6634 or 989-733-8515.