As power outages are reported, TMJ4 News will update this article with the latest.
Power outages are being reported across Southeast Wisconsin as a major winter storm with snow, freezing rain, and sleet moves across the area.
A Winter Storm Warning and Winter Weather Advisory remain in effect for Southeast Wisconsin counties until 9 a.m.
- LIVE UPDATES:Severe weather hits Southeast Wisconsin, Milwaukee
- LATEST FORECAST:Freezing rain, sleet, snow bashes Southeast Wisconsin
THURSDAY:
Update 1:15 p.m.
35,000 customers are without power as of 1:15 p.m.
Update 11:32 p.m.
About 41,000 customers remain without power.
Update 11:15 a.m.
The number of customers without power has dropped to more than 44,000 as of 11:15 a.m.
Update 9:10 a.m.
A recent spike has brought the number of customers without power to more than 51,000. Racine, Kenosha, and Burlington are the areas most affected. Here's a look at the outage map.
We Energies
Update 8:50 a.m.
As of a little before 9 a.m., more than 49,000 customers remained without power.
Update 7:30 a.m.
The We Energies outage map shows more than 48,000 people don't have power.
Update 7 a.m.
Nearly 47,000 people are without power across Southeast Wisconsin.
Brendan Colloway with We Energies joined us live on air to talk about all the outages.
Winter storm: Power outages reported across Southeast Wisconsin
Update 6 a.m.
According to the We Energies outage map, more than 45,000 customers are without power as of 6 a.m.
We Energies
Update 5:30 a.m.
In the last 15 minutes, the number of customers without power has jumped to 42,000. An alert on the We Energies website says crews are working quickly to restore power.
Update 5:15 a.m.
About 32,000 customers are still without power as of Thursday morning. A majority of the outages are in the Racine and Kenosha areas.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
WATCH: Brendan Conway, We Energies spokesperson, joined us Wednesday night.
We Energies working around the clock due to power outages
Update 10:20 p.m.
By 10:20 p.m., it grew to over 28,000.
Update 9:30 p.m.
As Wednesday night progressed, almost 24,000 customers were affected by 9:30 p.m.
Update 6:50 p.m.
As of 6:50 p.m., that number jumped to over 18,000 customers.
Update 6:20 p.m.
An hour later, power outages began expanding west, increasing the number of customers without service to over 16,400.
Update 5:20 p.m.
By 5:20 p.m., over 10,000 customers were reported without service. Over 9,200 of those customers were in the Kenosha area.
Update 5:10 p.m.
Ten minutes later, the number of customers rapidly increased to over 7,500 with over 6,800 customers in Kenosha alone.
Update 5 p.m.
Less than an hour later, the number jumped to over 5,800 customers without service, extending into Racine County.
Update 4 p.m.
The number of customers without service increased to over 3,200 by 4 p.m.
Update 3:30 p.m.
The We Energies' outage map showed nearly 2,000 customers without power around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
According to the map, Waukesha and Kenosha counties seem to be the most affected at this time.
What we are expecting
A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for several Southeast Wisconsin counties until 12 p.m. Thursday. Snow, sleet, and freezing rain will cause dangerous driving conditions. An Ice Storm Warning is also in effect for numerous counties until 12 p.m. Thursday. The freezing rain and sleet can cause power outages.
- KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:How to prepare for winter storm ahead of potential power outages, travel impacts
- SNOW EMERGENCY:These Southeast Wisconsin cities have declared snow emergencies
The Milwaukee Health Department has provided the following tips for power outages and travel impacts:
- Prepare an emergency kit for your home and your car that includes:
- Candles and matches
- Hand-cranked or battery-operated flashlight and radio
- Fully-charged cellular phone
- Extra batteries and external chargers
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Extra clothing
- High-calorie non-perishable food
- Extra food and water for pets
- First aid kits and any medications you require
- Tool kit
- Ensure your vehicle’s fuel tank is at least half full and the battery is fully charged.
- Charge all portable devices, cell phones, external chargers, and lanterns or flashlights ahead of time.
- Heat your home with devices approved for indoor use, and ensure they are properly vented to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning or fires.
- Never use wood-burning or coal-burning grills, camp stoves, or other outdoor devices indoors.
- Remember to keep flammable materials such as paper, blankets, or clothing away from portable heaters.
- Avoid traveling, especially during periods of extreme snow or ice, unless in the case of an emergency.
- Adjust your driving by slowing down and providing more space for braking.
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who are elderly or with high-risk medical conditions, to ensure they have heat and ample supplies.
- Dress warmly in water-resistant layers with gloves, hats, and scarves when outdoors.
- Sand or salt icy sidewalks or walkways and take care where you step to avoid slips and falls.
- Check local news andweather reports [weather.gov]for extreme cold weather alerts and safety tips.
- Be aware of symptoms of cold weather-related illness:
- Hypothermia: includes shivering, drowsiness, clumsiness, and confusion. Usually caused by extreme cold, but can occur at temperatures above freezing if an individual becomes wet and chilled from precipitation.
- Frostbite: includes numbness, tingling, stinging, and aching
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning: includes headaches, nausea, disorientation, seizures, coma, respiratory failure, and death.
Further winter weather safety can be found on the city's website.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is warning drivers to plan ahead and visit 511wi.gov to monitor road conditions and view live videos from traffic cameras.
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