| Local News & News of Interest |
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'Power Restoration Efforts
Proceeding Nicely,' says UPPCO
Ishpeming, MI-
Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) has
restored electric service to about 1,100
customers since this morning as crews
continue to work following the
hurricane-like wind storms during the last
two days that resulted in power
interruptions to about 6,500 UPPCO customers
on Wednesday. (There are 52,000 total UPPCO
electric customers.)
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| PRESS RELEASE!!
FROM: GOGEBIC COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
DATE: October 27, 2010
TIME: 2:22 p.m.
Due to the recent power outages in
Gogebic County and unknown
length of time before power is restored
to residents, a temporary
shelter will be set up at the Gogebic
Community College cafeteria.
The shelter expects to open at 4:00 P.M.
CST today. Anyone who
requires shelter is welcome and
encouraged to be there.
The Red Cross and Victim Services will be
on hand to assist anyone
in need.
Everyone is encouraged to check on
family, friends and neighbors to
ensure that they are taken care of and
are aware of the unknown
length of the power outage and should
seek shelter at GCC.
Anyone with questions is to call the
Gogebic County Sheriff
Department at 906-667-0203.
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| If you are calling
regarding the power outage an emergency
shelter has been set up at the Gogebic
Community College starting at 4 PM today
Wednesday, October 27th. For those who do
not have transportation please dial 911 and
a public safety officer will provide
transportation for you. It is not know when
power is to be restored at this time! |
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UPPCO
Reports "Some" Progress as High Winds Make
Power Restoration Difficult
(Ishpeming, MI) - Upper Peninsula Power
Company (UPPCO) restoration crews were able
to return electrical service to about 2,700
customers today, but expects about 3,800
customers may go another night without
electricity. High winds continued for a
second straight day making power restoration
work extremely difficult and dangerous.
About 6,500 UPPCO customers were without
power earlier today.
UPPCO officials are gearing up for a massive
restoration effort as soon as the winds
subside. Additional personnel, including
other utility and state crews and electrical
contractors, along with tree clearance
specialists, are now assisting with the
power restoration effort.
Customers are being asked to prepare for the
potential of being without power until the
weekend. Customers with special medical
needs, such as oxygen-aided breathing
equipment, should make necessary
preparations and seek medical assistance or
contact relatives or friends to assist.
As of 5pm, EST, Wednesday, October 27, 2010,
a total of 3,800 customers, or about 7
percent of UPPCO's 52,000 customers were
without power.
• Escanaba - 200
• Houghton - 550
• Iron River - 90
• Ishpeming - 2,400
• Munising - 450
To report an outage or any potentially
dangerous situation, call the UPPCO
Emergency Outage line at 800-562-7680.
Customers who can access the Internet can
visit the UPPCO website www.uppco.com to
report an outage, stay current on storm
restoration and view electric outage
information.
Safety remains top priority for both
customers and everyone involved in the
restoration effort. UPPCO reminds customers
to be extremely cautious around downed power
lines. If UPPCO customers are in immediate
danger or need additional emergency services
they are advised to contact their local
Public Safety Office at 911.
SAFETY REMINDERS:
Chainsaw Use: Stay clear of any branches or
limbs that are near or could be entangled in
power lines. Power lines may still be
energized. Contact UPPCO if you come across
any potentially dangerous situations.
Back-up Generators: Portable electrical
generators should be used properly and
safely. Follow the manufacturer's
instructions.
Generator Connection: Do not connect a
portable generator directly into a
building's wiring or plug the generator into
an electrical outlet. This is extremely
dangerous to utility line mechanics
repairing downed power lines and to the
generator and appliances plugged into the
generator. If a generator is plugged into
your home's electrical circuits, it can
still "backfeed" power into the utility
company lines, which can electrocute utility
workers fixing downed power lines. A switch
should be installed by a licensed
electrician to isolate the building from the
utility distribution system.
Generator Space Requirements: Never operate
a generator in an enclosed or partially
enclosed area. A generator requires proper
ventilation in an outdoor area.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For the most current
up-to-date UPPCO outage numbers, access the
"View Current Electric Outages" on the UPPCO
website: http://www.uppco.com/home/outages.aspx
The outage information on the above website
is updated every 15 minutes.
This will be the last written news release
for today. To track outage progress, see the
above website address as it will provide the
most current information. The next news
release is scheduled for tomorrow morning,
Thursday, October 28, 2010. |
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Day Two: High Winds
Continue Making UPPCO Electric Restoration
Efforts Difficult
Ishpeming, MI - Despite another day of wind
gusts and potentially dangerous
conditions, Upper Peninsula Power Company's
(UPPCO) electric line restoration
crews continue to battle the elements to
restore power. High winds are
forecasted to continue into the evening.
Additional crews from out of state
utilities and contractors have been brought
in to assist.
As of 11 am CST, Wednesday, October 27,
2010, a total of 5,400 customers, or
about 10 percent of UPPCO's 52,000 customers
were without power.
Escanaba - 580
Houghton - 900
Iron River - 80
Ishpeming - 3,600
Munising - 250
At this time, no restoration times are
available. Customers are being asked to
prepare for potentially being without power
until the weekend. Customers with
special medical needs, such as oxygen-aided
breathing equipment, should make
necessary preparations and seek medical
assistance or contact relatives or
friends to assist.
High winds are forecasted to continue
through the early evening.
Safety is UPPCO's number one priority for
both customers and everyone involved
in the restoration effort. UPPCO reminds
customers to be extremely cautious
around downed power lines. If UPPCO
customers are in immediate danger or need
additional emergency services they are
advised to contact their local Public
Safety Office at 911.
To report an outage or any potentially
dangerous situation, call the UPPCO
Emergency Outage line at 800-562-7680.
Customers who can access the Internet can
visit the UPPCO website www.uppco.com to
report an outage, stay current on storm
restoration and view electric outage
information.
SAFETY
Chainsaw Reminder: Stay clear of any
branches or limbs that are near or could be
entangled in power lines. Power lines may
still be energized. Contact UPPCO if
you come across any potentially dangerous
situations.
Back-up Generators: Portable electrical
generators should be used properly and
safely. Follow the manufacturer's
instructions.
Generator Connection: Do not connect a
portable generator directly into a
building's wiring or plug the generator into
an electrical outlet. This is
extremely dangerous to utility line
mechanics repairing downed power lines and
to the generator and appliances plugged into
the generator. If a generator is
plugged into your home's electrical
circuits, it can still "back feed" power
into the utility company lines, which can
electrocute utility workers fixing
downed power lines. A switch should be
installed by a licensed electrician to
isolate the building from the utility
distribution system.
Generator Space Requirements: Never operate
a generator in an enclosed or
partially enclosed area. A generator
requires proper ventilation in an outdoor
area.
For More Information, Contact:
Jodi Pineau
Customer Relations Leader
906-362-2300
UPPCO Customer Service
800-562-7680 |
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6400 UPPCO Customers
without Power
Ishpeming, MI - The worst wind storm in
decades will continue to bring high
winds throughout Wednesday, plaguing The
Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO)
territory. Wind gusts as high of 64 miles
per hour have been reported. Flying
debris and falling trees are making
restoration challenging for UPPCO crews. All
available UPPCO crews and additional crews
from other utilities and states have
been contacted and called in to assist with
the restoration of power.
Outages throughout UPPCO Service Territory
Escanaba - 578
Houghton - 2959
Iron River - 260
Ishpeming - 2093
Munising - 577
At this time, no restoration times are
available.
Weather forecasters are calling for high
winds to continue to 7 pm E.T. this
evening.
Safety is UPPCO's number one priority for
both customers and all UPPCO workers.
We appreciate our customer's patience during
these outages. UPPCO wants to
remind customers to be extremely cautious
around the many downed power lines.
Keep children and pets away from power
lines. Be aware of the many UPPCO, Fire
and Police crews that are working removing
debris and repairing lines.
If UPPCO customers are in immediate danger
or need additional emergency services
they are advised to contact their local
Public Safety Office at 911.
To report an outage or any potentially
dangerous situation call 800-562-7680.
Customers who can access the Internet can
visit the UPPCO website www.uppco.com
to report an outage, stay current on storm
restoration and view electric outage
information.
SAFETY
When power outages occur, portable
generators can be a great convenience. But,
like any power source, they must be
installed and used properly. Follow the
manufacturer's instructions and these
important safety tips:
Generator Connection - Do not connect a
portable generator directly into a
buildings wiring or plug the generator into
an electrical outlet. This is
extremely dangerous to utility line
mechanics repairing downed power lines and
to the generator and appliances plugged into
the generator. If a generator is
plugged into your home's electrical
circuits, it can still "backfeed" power into
the utility company lines, which can injure
utility workers fixing downed power
lines. Have a licensed electrician install a
switch to isolate the building from
the utility distribution system.
Generator Space Requirements - Never operate
a generator in an enclosed or
partially enclosed area. A generator
requires proper ventilation in an outdoor
area.
For More Information, Contact:
Jodi Pineau
Customer Relations Leader
906-362-2300
UPPCO Customer Service
800-562-7680
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