What to do with that fallen tree? Can you get reimbursed by your utility? Storm cleanup Q&A

LANSING — In the wake of intense storms that struck Lansing and the surrounding area, officials are trying to point residents toward resources needed to get life back to normal as utility crews continue to restore power.

Thursday night's storms, fueled by intense heat and humidity, swept across the Lower Peninsula and spun up seven confirmed tornadoes. The most serious, an EF-2 that caused significant damage in the Webberville and Williamston areas, contributed to the death of a 40-year-old Grand Rapids man on Interstate 96 where more than a dozen tractor-trailers were flipped over.

At least three other deaths have been linked to the storms.

Here are some answers to questions you may have.

What do I do with brush and limbs in my yard?

Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said officials are continuing to work out the details of the cleanup.

In the meantime, he asked residents to cut up and bundle limbs and branches as they normally would for spring or fall cleanup and put material into yard waste bins. Larger debris should be cut down to pieces under 8-feet long and piled up between the sidewalk and street to keep those paths clear. The removal could start next week.

Delta Township residents can take their limbs to a township drop off center at 925 S. Canal Road. Potterville residents can take their brush to Lake Alliance or leave it by the curb. Williamston residents can leave their debris on the curb, up to 6 or 8 inches thick.

East Lansing is offering a special collection intended only for tree limbs that cannot be cut and bundled per the city’s normal yard waste collection guidelines. Requests for collection must be submitted before 7 a.m. on Friday https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/FormCenter/Public-Works-6/Yard-Waste-Bulk-Item-Collection-Request-46 and select “Large Tree Limbs” under the type of pickup on the online form.

How do I know whether the tree down in my yard is my responsibility or the city’s?

In Lansing, and in most cities and townships, trees in the city right of way, typically between the sidewalk and the street, are the city’s responsibility. Trees in yards are the responsibility of homeowners or property owners.

If you have questions about whose responsibility a tree falls under, call your local DPW department. Schor said officials will do their best to help folks who have trees down on their home.”

How long will cleanup take?

Schor asked residents for patience, saying cleanup was “going to take several weeks.” Other cities and townships have not provided estimates.

When will my power come back on?

If your power isn't on and there isn’t a problem with your mast, where the power line connects to your home, crews are still working.

Consumers Energy has twice extended its outlook for power restoration, from Sunday night to Monday night to now Tuesday night. Consumers said fewer than 11,000 of its customers remained without power Monday evening, down from more than 200,000. In the Lansing area, more than 1,000 customers were still without power Tuesday morning, clustered from Grand Ledge, through the Potterville and Dimondale areas toward Eaton Rapids. An area of more than 700 Consumers customers remained without power surrounding Stockbridge.

In the city of Lansing, more than 325 customers remained without power as of Tuesday morning, according to the Board of Water and Light. The BWL online power outage map says some restoration could take until Thursday. Initially, more than 33,000 customers lost power.

Dick Peffley, general manager for BWL, told the State Journal on Monday that by Wednesday or Thursday the hope is that single homes without power will be all that's left.

DTE's website says 99.66% of its customers now have power with about 7,700 customers still in the dark, most along the Interstate 96 corridor. Nearly 1,000 customers affected are in the Webberville and Fowlerville areas with about 469 in the Webberville area. More than 6,000 customers were affected Thursday.

What if my mast is broken?

In most cases, power companies are responsible for the lines that run to the mast, but the mast itself is the responsibility of the home or business owner. Utilities won’t restore power until an electrician makes repairs to the mast. For BWL customers, you can obtain a list of electricians at lbwl.com and the utility will work with you to spread the cost of payments for replacement over a 12-month period without interest. If you have questions contact your utility.

What should I do about home damage and insurance?

If you've had damage to your home, you should contact your insurance company as soon as possible and keep careful records. Do not make permanent repairs to your home until your insurance company has inspected the damage, but do take protective steps — like putting a tarp over a hole in a roof, according to advice shared by Ingham County.

Take pictures of the damage, ask your insurance agent about temporary living expenses and business interruption coverage (for businesses). While the insurance company may have preferred contractors, you have the right to choose your own contractors.

What to do if your basement floods

If your basement floods, you can call professionals to assist. If you are trying to clean up yourself, wear gloves, protective clothing and masks if there is the possibility of mold or other potentially toxic debris, according to a guide from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"People with asthma and other lung conditions and/or immune suppression should not enter buildings with indoor water leaks or mold growth that can be seen or smelled. Children should not take part in disaster cleanup work," according to FEMA.

Beware of electrical risks, and shut off electricity where necessary. Avoid wading in floodwater due to contamination, debris and the chance of electricity, according to FEMA's Floods | Ready.gov website.

Can I get reimbursed because my power was out for several days?

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy customers who were out of power for 96 hours (four full days) should see a $35 credit automatically applied in the next bill or two. If you don't see the credit or have more questions, visit Damages & Reliability Credits | DTE Energy or Outage Credit | Consumers Energy.

BWL customers who were out of power for 120 hours (five full days) can apply for a $25 credit by visiting Outage Credit | lbwl.com or calling 517-702-6006.

The state's Public Service Commission approved a rule change in March, requiring investor-owned utilities to automatically give the credit, instead of requiring people to apply, and increase the amount from $25 to $35. BWL is a municipal utility and is not subject to PSC regulation.

Can I still eat food from the refrigerator?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that when power goes out, people should leave their refrigerator closed. Food in the refrigerator will stay good for only four hours. In the freezer, food can remain edible up to a full day in a partially full compartment and two days if the freezer is completely full.

The CDC also warns that people should avoid tasting food to determine whether it is safe; when in doubt, throw it away.

If you don't have ice, throw out such things as meat, fish, eggs, milk and leftovers after four hours without power. If you have a cold source, such as ice, check that the temperature remains below 40 degrees and dispose of anything over that temperature.

Is there anything else I can do?

Thank a utility worker, tree trimmer or public works employee doing their work. Schor and BWL General Manager Dick Peffley made that point over the weekend, noting that local utility crews and those from outstate Michigan and other states are working 16-hour shifts to restore power.

Let Mike Ellis at mike.ellis@gannett.com know if we can work to get answers to additional questions.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: What to do with that fallen tree? Can you get reimbursed by your utility? Storm cleanup Q&A