DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — On Tuesday, most people in Washington Island woke up to fallen branches and lights not turning on after severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were issued across the island, leaving at least 500 without power.
While power returned for some, others, like Mike Thielke, are still waiting.
"I thought it was just another outage and that it would come back after an hour or two," Thielke said when asked about the power going out.
WATCH MIHIR SINHASAN'S FULL STORY:
"I grabbed a flashlight and came out," Thielke said about when he realized that power had not returned after a few hours. "I heard a loud noise at the north end of the house."
That loud noise was something damaging Thielke's electric box, leaving him without power, internet or a way to work on his business.
"I have a hobby scroll saw business," Thielke said. "But I can't do that with no electricity. So, it's just chilling on the island."
Washington Island Electric Cooperative has been fixing connections, providing updates on Facebook when working in certain areas.
I reached out to Washington Island Electric Cooperative for an interview, but they said that they were too busy. On the phone, they told me that crews worked until 6 a.m. on Tuesday, took a short rest, and are currently working to restore power to homes across four areas on the island.
It's something that Thielke appreciates.
"I'd like to thank them for the work that they did," he said. "They have to drive around and assess where the most danger is. So, I give them a lot of credit."
Washington Island Electric Cooperative says that power will be restored to the area by Tuesday night.
