Unseasonably warm and humid weather led to an outbreak of storms that swept through the entire Upper Peninsula. At about 6 a.m., Thursday July 21 a storm hit Ontonagon, with devastating 90 mph straight-line winds, accompanied by lightning and heavy rain. Storm damage included many downed trees (including several on homes), broken poles and wires.
Overall, six substations and 4200 members were out of power at Ontonagon REA. Ontonagon’s own crews and four contractor crews worked until late Friday to restore service to most of the system. Further clean-up work is expected to continue for another two weeks.
“We cannot thank their crews enough for the hours they spent in very hot and humid conditions,” said Bill Tucker, operations supervisor at Ontonagon REA.