End of the day goal: Consumers Energy working to restore power after tornadoes

Consumers Energy says crews are assessing damage and removing tree limbs and other debris after storms and tornadoes knocked out power for thousands Tuesday.

The company says its target is to restore power to a majority of customers in Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Branch Counties by the end of the today.

Some important safety tips to keep in mind:

• Be alert to crews working along roads. Slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past workers.
• Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines. Report downed lines by calling 911 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
• Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes.
• Consumers energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Other cleanup is responsibility of the property owner.
• If the mast that connects service wires to a home or business is damaged or torn away, crews will reconnect the wires to a home. However, only a licensed electrician can repair a mast or a cable.

You can keep track of the current status of outages using the Consumers Energy Outage Center .