UPPCO thanking community for patience during power outages

ISHPEMING — In the wake of the recant storm causing down power lines, over 4,000 UPPCO customers in Marquette County were left without power. Now that all the restoration efforts are completed, what exactly does the process of restoring power entail?

When first dealing with down power lines, taking every safety precaution possible is of utmost importance. Shutting off the power of the lines is the first step along with ensuring that everything is operating properly. Always treating a down line with care is highly encouraged. The time it takes to fully restore power can vary depending on the situation.

UPPCO serves 54,000 customers and covers over 4,000 square miles, primarily of this is in rural areas.

“We had 52 utility poles that were broken, including down in the Republic area where restoration took a little but longer because of the rural nature of that service territory of ours. Anytime you have a broken pole, it means you have to go back to the warehouse and pick up another pole, deliver it back to the site where the broken pole is, call the locator services. Depending on where it is, especially in a rural area of the U.P., it could take several hours,” said UPPCO Spokesperson, Dave Forsberg.

When large power outages occur, UPPCO takes an all hands on deck approach to speed up the restoration process. Forsberg wanted to thank the community for being patient and understanding during this process. He was also impressed with how the community showed their support by donating food to workers and for truly coming together as Yoopers typically do.

If you have any additional questions regarding outages, you can find visit UPPCO’s website by clicking here.