NEWBERRY, Mich. (WZMQ) — The village of Newberry is back online after a system-wide power outage Saturday left the entire community without electricity for nearly 18 hours.
Village Manager Alison Watkins said the outage began around 7 a.m. Aug. 9 when a transformer at the town’s substation failed.
“We know that the system faulted, which triggered the substation to protect itself, so it shut itself off from the incoming power,” Watkins said. “That transformer going out then shut the substation down until the town was without power starting at about 7 a.m. on Saturday.”
The transformer, about 20 years old, was considered midlife for such equipment. Watkins said it was unexpected to fail, and technicians are still working to determine the cause.
Crews from downstate and the Upper Peninsula mobilized quickly. A team from Novi brought two portable generators and a temporary substation, while a crew from Iron Mountain connected the equipment to Newberry’s system.
“They made it to Newberry around 8:30 in the evening,” Watkins said. “By 12:35 Sunday morning, the power was restored using the portable substation.”
The current setup is a temporary fix. Watkins said the village is working to lease a replacement transformer, which could take several days to a week to secure and install.
In the meantime, she said the community came together to support one another during the outage. The Newberry Ministerial Association opened a cooling and charging center, later working with Luce County Emergency Services to provide overnight shelter for residents with medical needs.
“I am so proud of the community. Folks really stepped up,” Watkins said.
Local businesses also pitched in. Rahilly’s IGA, a century-old grocery store in the village, opened its doors and gave away frozen goods that would have otherwise been discarded.
“This is the longest outage that the community has had in 20 years or more,” Watkins said. “In light of what happened, it has gone really well and we feel very supported by the community.”
