Southeast Michigan power outages: DTE plans for 90% of customers to have electricity by Friday evening
DETROIT (FOX 2) - DTE Energy said 90% of its customers should have power by Friday evening.
The company said by Sunday night, 98-99% of its customers will have power again.
DTE said crews restored power to about $150,000 customers Thursday and intend to restore power to 200,000 customers Friday. The utility company has about 4,200 people in the field currently.
As of 4:15 p.m. Friday, more than 458,00 customers are still without power after an ice storm Wednesday in Southeast Michigan. About 79% of its total customers have power, with that number expected to rise by the end of the day.
The DTE Outage Map has started updating to show restoration dates for some areas. Up until Friday afternoon, it only showed that the company was aiming for a restoration date of Sunday night.
The ice storm on Wednesday brought unique conditions to Metro Detroit, with precipitation falling over the region at just the right temperatures to freeze to surfaces.
READ: What to do if you see a downed wire
The hazard made conditions particularly dangerous due to the added weight that ice can bring to tree branches and power lines, knocking more than 3,000 down. DTE spent most of Thursday getting those back up to reduce the threat to public safety. DTE said the ice Michigan received caused the state to have significantly more power outages than nearby states also hit with winter weather.
DTE plans to address all downed wires Friday as well. About 3,200 wires fell.
Related: Death of dogs from live wires highlights dangers of downed power lines