Update: WPS crews restored power to 62,000 customers from this weekend’s strong ice storm, but tens of thousands of people remain without electricity.
As of 6:00 a.m. Monday, nearly 60,000 WPS customers were listed as having no power.
The utility estimates that 80% of customers who lost power during the ice storm will have it restored by the end of Monday.
WPS crews are finding significant damage across the area, with the Northwoods hit very hard.
Ice-covered trees and limbs are coming down and impacting electric equipment.
Technicians from across Wisconsin are coming to the area to help.
Customers can get the latest information on the estimated time of restoration for their outage at the WPS outage map online, or by using the WPS app.
Customers are reminded to stay away from any downed wires, and to report downed lines to law enforcement.
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An ice storm knocked out power to thousands of people in northern Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Public Service reported nearly 53,000 customers without power as of 10:00 a.m. Sunday.
The forecast from in the National Weather Service included an Ice Storm Warning until 7:00 p.m. Sunday for northern Wisconsin.
According to the weather service, significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages.
Tree damage is likely due to the ice.
The weather service says travel could be difficult to nearly impossible in some areas, and travel was strongly discouraged.
Wisconsin Public Service offers some general advice for those without power.
- Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and assume they are energized
- Do not remove trees or branches if contacting power lines
- Report downed power lines to us or local law enforcement
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible
- Unplug or turn off appliances to avoid overloading when power is restored
- Go to safe shelter if your home is extremely cold
- Use flashlights, not candles
- Get power restoration updates on the WPS app or online
- Use generators properly
- Leave a light on to know when power is restored
- Check with municipality for shelters or other resources during extended outages
- Use key for electronic entry doors if keypad is not battery operated
- Use food safety tips for frozen and refrigerated items
- Check on neighbors and relatives, especially seniors or anyone with medical conditions
