Storm Safety

Here in Lansing, Michigan, we are blessed to experience the pleasures of all four seasons, as well as, their tantrums. Over the course of a year, we see episodes of pouring rain, lightning, wind storms, sleet, snow and ice. We know extreme weather can be tough on humans, but it's also tough on trees. In fact, downed trees and broken limbs are the number one cause of BWL power outages year-round. The BWL has a new tree trimming program that will enhance BWL service reliability.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON OUR TREE TRIMMING PROGRAM

We also have PowerLine, a telephone outage reporting system capable of automatically processing up to 40,000 outage calls per hour. Always use this toll-free line (877-BWL-5001) to report a power outage. The system also provides service restoration times for customers seeking status reports on outages. Future enhancements to our System Operating Center's new energy management system will work in tandem with PowerLine to analyze the sources and severity of power outages. That will help operators respond more quickly and efficiently to outages on our electric system.

So, as you can see, long before a storm ever hits, the BWL has been busy preparing for it. However, no matter what the cause of an outage, our first priority, even before restoration of power, is the safety of our customers and employees. That's why we've provided the following list of useful outage and storm-related safety information.

How the BWL prepares for storms
How you should prepare for storms
Keeping cool in extreme heat
What to do when the lights go out
Safety in Lightning Storms
Tornado Safety
When BWL lines are down
Safety reminders for an extended storm outage
Diagram of a Potential Electric Service Problem