(COLDWATER) - Many customers are entering a fourth day without power as Consumers Energy and out-of-state contractors continue restoration work following the holiday weekend storms.
Consumers Energy crews have been joined by contractors from Ohio, Maryland and Alabama. The company says crews are working 16-hour days to restore damaged infrastructure.
Consumers says persistent weekend storm clusters slowed the recovery, with peak statewide outages surpassing 500,000 customers during the holiday weekend.
As of Monday morning, about 500 customers are still without power in Branch County. More than 2,000 customers remain without power in Hillsdale County, while over 6,000 are still out in Jackson County.
Consumers says power has been nearly fully restored in St. Joseph County, where just under 100 customers remain without power.
A Monday morning check of area energy providers also showed about 120 Steuben County REMC customers without power.
Weather models are calling for a transition to drier, more stable conditions early this week. However, Consumers says some heavily damaged areas are facing extended restoration timelines that could stretch into midweek.