Metro Detroit storm damage: Power outages, poles and trees toppled, wires down
DETROIT (FOX 2) - More than 150,000 people remained without power in Southeast Michigan after a dramatic round of severe weather blew through the state Tuesday afternoon and early evening, knocking down trees, collapsing power lines, and creating havoc for the region.
As dozens of schools canceled class due to outages, live wires became a public health concern after instances of cables tumbling down on homes and cars.
DTE says it has over 4,200 individuals in the field working to restore power, including 1,200 people from other states that were called in to assist their restoration efforts.
According to Brian Calka, the utility's vice president of distribution operations, the goal is to restore power to 75% of customers who lost electricity during the storms, and 90% of customers by the end of Thursday.
He added there remains a threat of downed wires that could pose a hazard to anyone who unsuspectingly comes into contact with one.
"We know there are other wires that are down on the ground right now. People just haven't seen them or we're not aware of them," he said, recommending people report downed wires using DTE's app.
The majority of the outages happened due to severe weather that blew through around 5 p.m. on Tuesday, with another 30-40,000 customers losing power later in the evening after more storms bubbled up.
Calka said restoration can be quick if the damage is isolated to a single area. However, the recent extreme weather hit homes from Michigan's thumb to near the Ohio border.
The utility had expected the storms that came across Lake Michigan to dissipate by the time they arrived on the state's west side. Instead, they stayed intact, bringing 70 mph winds.
Severe weather creates havoc
In Lincoln Park winds ripped through the area, causing witness Jessica Raymond WIlson to wonder if it was a tornado she was seeing. She submitted video to FOX 2 from the intersection of Dix Road and London Street.
The downed wires led to several fires, including a car fire in Garden City and a flaming wire in St. Clair Shores.
Western Oakland County was also hit hard with several power poles snapping from the pressure of 70 mph winds.
More extreme weather on the way
Adding to the concern of a loss of power comes another day of sweltering heat in metro Detroit - and another dose of potential severe weather.
The National Weather Service is forecasting a temperature high of 85 degrees. That includes humidity climbing to about 60% by midday - and even higher into Thursday.
Meanwhile, there is a 40% chance of rain throughout Wednesday - along with the potential for thunder.
The combination of no power and high summer temperatures doubles as a threat for those that won't have access to air conditioning - making it harder to cool off during another brutal stretch of heat.
While parts of Detroit have dealt with this over the summer - concerns are now amplified with outages stretched across the region.
Downed trees after severe weather blasts metro Detroit
DTE outage updates
As of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, more than 200,000 DTE customers were powerless. Another 120,000 Consumers Energy customers also lost power due to storms. To expedite the process of restoring power, DTE said it has crews from other states in Michigan as the company works to restore power.
Click here for the DTE outage map or to report an outage.
Classes canceled and travel disrupted
Schools canceled class around Southeast Michigan due to a lack of power. Calka said close to 350 schools had their power disrupted.
The full list can be seen on FOX 2's closing page here.
But school districts aren't the only places without power. Getting around on Wednesday morning may be a bit tricky due to dark intersections and poles and wires down over roads. Leaning power poles at 10 Mile and Northwestern Highway has traffic lights out at the intersection. The southbound Northwestern exit to 10 Mile is closed due to this.
Did you experience storm damage? Share your photo with FOX 2 here and you could see it on air.
If you see a downed power line:
- Stay at least 25 feet away from a downed power line and make sure that you and your family, pets and neighbors don’t touch anything it touches – like a fence, or a puddle.
- Be sure to call 9-1-1 if there is an emergency.
- Assume all downed power lines are live and dangerous - even if you don’t see sparks, smell smoke or hear buzzing. Coming in contact with a downed power line, including touching it with an object – like a broom or pole – can result in serious injuries.
- Do not drive across a downed power line. If a power line falls on your car, stay inside and wait for help.
- Never cross yellow barrier tape surrounding the area of a downed power line.