The outages come after a storm system moved through the state Tuesday night, bringing wind gust advisories for much of southern and eastern Wisconsin. The National Weather Service says gusts of up to 50 miles an hour were possible. The storm also brought colder temperatures into the state, which fell from the 50s on Monday down into the upper 20s in the Milwaukee area.
As of Tuesday morning, WPS said about 1,800 customers were still in the dark, after more than 17,000 people lost service overnight. “Some of the areas that have been impacted the most by these strong winds are Wabeno, Rhinelander, Minocqua, Marinette, and Menominee, Michigan,” said WPS spokesman Matt Cullen. “Downed trees, downed limbs, broken utility poles, the winds have caused all of that sort of damage.”
Alliant Energy reported Tuesday afternoon that about 217 customers were still without power.
WPS urges anyone who comes across downed power lines to stay away from them and immediately contact their utility provider.
The strong winds are expected to die down across the state by Tuesday night.
Affiliate WTAQ contributed to this report.