The post-storm situation on the Menominee Indian Reservation was significantly improved Friday, with power restored to the majority of those affected by a fierce string of storms that hammered the region Wednesday night.
Tribal Chairman Craig Corn said Friday afternoon that 300 to 400 were still without power, but crews were doing all they could to get things back up and running for them.
The storm knocked out power in Keshena, the Legend Lake area, Middle Village and West Branch.
Corn said power should be completely restored in the next day or two.
Power has already been restored to a lift station that serves Comot Lane, Pine Ridge, Subway, Save-A-Lot and Family Dollar. The loss of that station meant the water currently in the wells was the only supply available until the power was back up.
Some areas remained without water Friday. Corn said water and ice were being provided to tribal members in need.
Meanwhile, the cleanup of debris and downed trees is going well, he said, with a lot of volunteers, Menominee County crews and and the Community Development Department all pitching in.
The cleanup was continuing as tribal members mourned the loss of Marlo King, 39, of Neopit, who was killed during Wednesday’s storm when a tree fell onto the top of her car. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Neopit.
Menominee County, along with Gresham in Shawano County, were hit hardest by the storms. There was also significant damage to about a dozen homes in the Bonduel area.
Preliminary results released by the National Weather Service indicated the worst of the damage in Shawano County was caused by straight-line winds that reached speeds of 90 to 100 mph, according to a statement from Shawano County Emergency Management.
The storms also knocked out power to more than 1,100 people in Wescott, portions of the city of Shawano and more than 1,000 electric customers south of Shawano and stretching to the Bonduel area.
As of 4:30 p.m. Friday, Alliant Energy was reporting 32 customers still without power in Shawano County. WE Energies was reporting five.
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