Sturgis power outages drop to 175 as crews continue storm recovery efforts

Nearly a week after severe thunderstorms and powerful winds swept through Sturgis on June 11, city crews and mutual aid workers continue restoring power to residents still affected by widespread storm damage, with recovery efforts now entering their final stages.

As of Tuesday morning, City Manager Andrew Kuk said approximately 175 electric customers remain without power as crews continue restoration work across the city.

The storm initially left at least 3,000 customers without electricity after powerful winds brought down trees, power lines, and utility infrastructure throughout Sturgis. Unlike many neighboring communities served by utility companies such as Consumers Energy or Indiana Michigan Power, Sturgis operates its own municipal electric department, meaning restoration efforts have been coordinated directly by city crews alongside outside mutual aid partners.

On Monday, the National Weather Service confirmed the damage was caused by straight-line winds rather than tornado activity.

City officials began issuing public updates immediately after the storm as crews worked to assess damage and begin restoration efforts. By Friday morning, approximately 1,500 to 2,000 customers remained without power, though officials warned repairs could take several days because of extensive infrastructure damage spread across the city.

Later Friday, city officials estimated roughly 1,900 customers remained without service and warned complete restoration could take between six and seven days as crews worked through smaller and more difficult repair areas.

By Saturday morning, mutual aid crews from 15 outside communities had joined Sturgis electric workers, helping reduce outages to roughly 1,500 customers. By Saturday evening, that number had fallen further to approximately 1,200 customers.

Restoration efforts continued Sunday as more than 50 mutual aid workers assisted city crews, lowering outages to roughly 950 customers by midday before dropping again to approximately 600 customers Sunday night.

By Monday afternoon, outage numbers had fallen again to approximately 385 customers. Tuesday evening’s latest update showed outages reduced further to 175 customers, with city officials saying crews continue making strong progress while additional restoration work remains.

As recovery efforts stretched into multiple days, local organizations began stepping in to assist residents affected by prolonged outages. The St. Joseph County United Way coordinated shower access at Village Manor Apartments, distributed bottled water and meals, and has begun planning a food distribution event later this week for residents still impacted by the outages.

United Way officials said residents needing assistance can now contact the organization directly through its offices while additional community aid plans continue developing.

Meanwhile, Sturgis Public Safety partnered with the State of Michigan’s 5th District to provide free oxygen tank refills for residents dependent on powered medical equipment while electricity remained unavailable.

Alongside electrical restoration, city crews have continued clearing downed trees, brush, and debris from roadways, parks, and public rights-of-way. Officials continue warning residents to avoid downed power lines and damaged areas, reminding residents to stay at least 25 feet away from any downed electrical line.

The city’s compost site remains open for storm debris disposal, with additional cleanup operations expected to continue as restoration work wraps up.

Watershed Voice will continue providing updates on storm recovery efforts and community resources as additional information becomes available.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.