Ingham County Road Department, Lansing Board of Water and Light and Xfinity work to repair lines down on Hagadorn. The fallen lines caused power outages east of MSU campus. Dec. 11, 2021.
Dick Peffley, general manager of Lansing Board of Water and Light, was joined by East Lansing and Meridian Township officials at 4 p.m. Saturday afternoon to provide an update on power outages in mid-Michigan.
Around 11 a.m. Saturday morning, an eastbound Canadian National train crossing Hagadorn Road near Michigan State’s campus got entangled with a third-party wire attachment, causing power poles to break along the street.
“The cable somehow had sagged down in its path, we’re not sure yet how that happened,” Peffley said according to a WLNS stream of the press conference. “It pushed the wires quite a ways down the track and in the process broke over 30 poles.”
This, accompanied by high winds, caused a massive power outage in the area, affecting more than 5,000 residents. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning and advisory for southeast Michigan as gusts reached 60 mph.
According to MSU Police and Public Safety, there are no power outages on campus as of 6:19 p.m.
In the WLNS stream, Peffley confirmed earlier reports that electric service should be restored by 8:30 p.m. tonight.
An investigation has started to determine how the wire fell onto the track. Peffley mentioned that any videos or photos from the incident may be a clue in determining the cause according to the stream.
The high wind warning and advisory remain in effect for southeast Michigan until 8 p.m. Saturday evening.
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