High winds cause power outages across region

Chris Ouellette, a spokesperson for Xcel Energy based in Eau Claire, said Tuesday morning in an email at 10:30 a.m. that 4,700 customers were without power in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties in Michigan and Iron and Vilas counties in Wisconsin.

By noon, the number without power was down to 3,947. At 1:30 p.m., 3,643 customers were without power.

Ouellette said crews were out responding to a number of locations where a problem was reported. One problem, perhaps a tree down on a power line, could mean one set of customers were without power there, while another problem, maybe a snapped power line, could be the cause for another set of customers, she said.

While the winds continued through the morning and into the afternoon, the daylight and sunny weather made for favorable conditions for tackling the power outages, she said. “We call these ‘sunny day’ outages.”

According to the release, some of the affected communities included Ironwood, Bessemer, Ramsay, Wakefield, Marenisco and Bergland in Michigan; and Manitowish Waters, Winchester and Presque Isle in Wisconsin.

—Larry Holcombe