By By ERIKA PICKLES / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Strong winds caused several downed trees, branches and power lines all across Southwest lower Michigan and Northern Indiana early Sunday morning.
According to the National Weather Service, winds were estimated to reach gusts of 50 to 70 miles per hour.
Indiana &Michigan Power said storm damage included significant numbers of broken poles and downed trees and tree limbs. Crews worked throughout the day Sunday, however, strong wind gusts continued, resulting in additional outages, crews will continue to work today and Tuesday to restore power.
As of 6:15 p.m. Sunday evening, an estimated 7,105 residents in both states were without power. When the storm hit, 14,483 suffered outages.
I&M stated that 90 percent of the outages in Michigan should be restored today.
I&M reminds residents that severe weather can cause power lines to snap or poles to come down. Fallen power lines are dangerous because they carry an electric current that can cause serious or fatal injury. Never touch a fallen wire, no matter how harmless it looks. And keep others away from the potential hazard as well. If you encounter fallen wires, stay away from them and immediately contact Indiana Michigan Power.
Electric consumers are asked to report their outage again if they have not called within the past 24 hours. This will ensure that all consumers' electricity is restored as quickly as possible.