(New Buffalo, MI) - Many residents were still without power in New Buffalo and other parts of southwest Michigan this afternoon. 

According to Indiana Michigan Power Company (IMPC), over 14,000 customers lost service early this morning, primarily from New Buffalo to Buchanan. IMPC officials said the primary reason was flooding at a substation in the Bridgman area during early morning storms. In addition, three other substations in the area negatively impacted by the high water resulted in additional outages, officials said.

Officials said crews are installing a new power line connection around the flooded substation to restore service to customers impacted by the flooding. However, officials said it would take time to build the line and reroute the power, and, as a result, service may not be restored until this evening.

Matt Kay said it was a strange driving from Three Oaks and through New Buffalo to work at Service 1 Marine on Indiana 39 just south of the Michigan line. He said nobody had power except for those who might have had a generator.

“Not seeing lights on. It was a little different,” Kay noted.