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Michigan Utility Crews Head To Northeast To Assist With Expected Storm Outages

DETROIT (WWJ) - While residents in the Northeast prepare for a winter storm that the National Weather Service called "potentially historic" utility crews from Michigan are heading toward New York to be in place to deal with power outages expected from the storm.

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More than 50 Consumers Energy employees are being mobilized. The utility crews, technicians, mechanics and supervisors from around Michigan plan to head out Monday from Dundee.

Another 100 contractors also are expected to be available. The workers will travel initially to New York state, but will go where needed. They could be in the northeast for a week or so.

DTE's Randi Berris says their crews use their utility trucks to drive to the areas where help is most needed and added that they are prepared to send more crews out to the northeast.

"If the snow is as heavy and wet as predicted, that certainly will impact the power lines along the east coast," "If more power outages occur than are already anticipated, we will be able to assist, though of course you have to build in the travel time -- it will take a day or two to get there, especially if the roads are blocked because of the snow."

Berris said that they have requested assistance from other states in the past and are happy to return the favor.

[Delta Airlines Getting Ahead Of The Weather With Waivers, Some Ticket Changes]

A winter that has largely spared the Northeast thus far is about to arrive with gusto: a storm the National Weather Service called "potentially historic" could dump 2 feet or more of snow between New York and Boston.

The National Weather Service in New York has issued a blizzard warning from Monday afternoon through midnight Tuesday for the Tri-State area.

[Check Local Forecast]

Blizzard conditions with heavy snow and powerful winds are possible in New York City starting Monday and into Tuesday, and snow should arrive in some areas before daybreak — just in time for the start of the work week.

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