KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — West Michigan is making an abrupt transition from early fall-like weather to mid-winter conditions and it seems like a spring storm was sandwiched in between with wind and rain knocking down branches taking out power lines and causing scattered outages yesterday.
Spokesman Roger Morgenstern says gusts of up to 50 mph affected at total of about 65,000 homes and businesses, the majority of them in Northern Michigan.
There are a few scattered outages in the southern counties. They currently project to wrap up repairs by 11:30 this evening. (wed)
A couple of storm related crashes caused one death and sparked one hit and run car/pedestrian incident that sent another man to the hospital.
A 44-year-old from Petoskey was killed in Cooper Township at 5:30 yesterday morning when he crashed his motorcycle into the back of a Consumers Energy Digger Derrick Truck stopped to survey storm damage on North Douglas Avenue. His name has not been released pending the notification of his family.
Consumers Spokesman Roger Morgenstern says the truck had its amber lights activated at the time. State Police are investigating.
Just after 8am, a driver stopped along S. 29th Street to drag a fallen tree branch off the street when he was struck by another vehicle. The 29-year-old victim from Kalamazoo was transported to the E.R. by ambulance for treatment of minor injuries. The other driver sped away. County Deputies are looking for a light green Pontiac or Oldsmobile with front end damage.
The same high winds that took down wires in West Michigan triggered a response from Enbridge to temporarily suspend operation of Line 5.
It was the first time a recent agreement between the State and the Canadian pipeline firm to minimize the risk of a devastating spill was applied. The high waves at the surface doesn’t directly affect the pipes, but if a spill did occur for some other reason in rough water, it would be impossible for clean-up crews to safely respond to a spill. The shutdown began at 11:37 am.
