Key Takeaways
- Over 71,000 We Energies customers lost power due to strong winds, with gusts reaching up to 60 mph.
- Power restored to about 40,000 customers, primarily in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties, but full restoration may extend into the weekend.
- A major winter storm is expected this weekend, prompting We Energies to prepare for additional outages.
Severe Weather Disrupts Power in Wisconsin
We Energies, Wisconsin’s largest electric utility, reported over 71,000 customers without power on Friday afternoon as high winds battered the region. Wind gusts reached up to 60 mph, prompting the Milwaukee/Sullivan office of the National Weather Service to issue a high wind warning, which expired at 4 p.m. However, a wind advisory remains in effect, predicting gusts up to 45 mph until early Friday evening.
As of 4:30 p.m., approximately 40,000 customers had their power restored, with the majority of outages concentrated in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. We Energies spokesperson Brendan Conway stated that crews discovered significant damage, including downed power lines and fallen trees that impacted electric infrastructure. The ongoing gusts were contributing to new outages, prompting the utility to mobilize all available crews, including contract teams and mutual aid from out of state.
Power restoration efforts are underway, but We Energies cautioned that complete service recovery may extend into the weekend. Utility crews are working around the clock to address the disruptions caused by the wind storm.
Additionally, We Energies is bracing for further outages as another major winter storm is forecasted to hit the area this weekend. Residents are advised to report outages through the utility’s website or by calling their dedicated number.
We Energies serves over 1.1 million electric customers across Wisconsin, emphasizing the necessity for ongoing repair and preparedness amid challenging weather conditions.
The content above is a summary. For more details, see the source article.
