All available Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) restoration crews will work throughout the day, along with about 100 other experienced crews, to restore electric service to about 18,000 customers still without power.  WPS expects to receive more assistance from neighboring utilities today, as well.  At the peak of the effort, nearly 50,000 customers were without electricity.

 It is unlikely all customers will be returned to service today.  There are more than 700 separate outages across WPS territory.  The high winds and lightning from yesterday’s storm caused extensive damage to WPS facilities.  Broken poles and downed lines are prevalent making restoration more time consuming.

 Follow storm restoration efforts throughout the day at: http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/outagesummary/view/outagegrid.aspx

 The National Weather Service reports that rainfall from the storm ranged from 3 to more than 5 inches over much of northern Wisconsin creating flooding in some areas further hampering restoration efforts.   A few simple steps can keep a family safe if the basement floods:

1. Safety first. Don’t step in floodwater. Before going into the basement, ask WPS or your local fire department to turn off your electricity and natural gas.
2. Dry Up. Drain the area using a gasoline-powered water pump located outside the home, or an electric pump connected to an outside line.
3. Use Your Nose. If you smell natural gas, leave immediately. Don’t operate gas or electric appliances. Call the WPS 24-hour gas emergency number at 800-450-7280 from your mobile phone or a neighbor’s home.
4. Check It Out. Hire a qualified contractor to inspect the gas or electric appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters and dryers. WPS can restore your service when they’ve been inspected and are safe for to use.

Customers are reminded to avoid downed power lines and treat all lines like they are still energized.  Downed lines can become entangled with fallen trees making cleanup work especially dangerous.