HARBOR SPRINGS — Days after an early spring ice storm, Harbor Springs is still facing power outages and freezing temperatures.
After days with no power, the City of Harbor Springs has generators running, allowing them to offer a warming center at Shay Elementary School. City hall is also open with power for people who are looking for heat and electricity.
The backup generator requires 800-1,000 gallons of diesel a day, and that’s powering the warming center. City manager Victor Sinadinoski told the News-Review the center has seen anywhere between 50-80 people at any given time, and supplies like food and water are being delivered there. The generator is also providing electricity for the fire department and a few services near Fairview Street.
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Sinadinoski said power lines are down and trees have fallen on some lines in the city. A mutual aid crew from Holland is in the area helping get power restored for residents. They’ll be in the area at least through Friday, he said.
However, the local grid is dependent upon a Consumers Energy transmission line that goes to the substation, and that line is dependent upon Gaylord’s 138-kV line.
Sinadinoski said he heard the 138-kV line has power restored, and that Consumers’ 46-kV line could be up and running as soon as Tuesday evening.
“We’re anticipating (getting power restored) as early as tomorrow morning for some customers but realistically the timeframe for our customers is sometime in the weekend is what we’ve been saying,” he said.
Sinadinoski said the 1-5 day timeline could change based on how long it takes Consumers Energy to get their lines restored, and could change if they get the grid up and running again but find other issues.
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Following the original ice storm, fallen trees and debris blocked many roads, but Sinadinoski said the Department of Public Works and fire departments have cleared the roads within city limits. Now, the groups are working to remove debris from sidewalks.
Sinadinoski said people with debris on their property can put it in the right-of-way between the sidewalk and curb so it can be picked up.
He also warned that as the ice melts, they’re anticipating more fallen branches and debris. The city is also warning people to avoid being underneath trees and buildings where ice has accumulated to avoid falling ice dangers.
To account for peoples’ safety, Sinadinoski said the police and fire departments are going door-to-door to check on residents, especially the elderly.
He added that city employees are not able to access their email right now, but residents can either call them or come to city hall to report any issues like fallen trees. Officials are asking residents to not jam 911 lines with reports related to debris. People should still call 911 for emergencies.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Harbor Springs officials warn energy could take 1-5 days to be restored
Reporting by Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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