Over 140,000 customers left without electricity in southern Michigan on Wednesday evening after severe storms raged across the region, uprooting trees and downing power lines.
According to the New York Post, nearly 108,000 DTE Energy customers had no power as of 5:40 p.m., and another 32,000 Consumers Energy customers were left without service.
The National Weather Service tweeted the “severe threat” finally ended around 10:40 p.m.
“Thank you to all who sent storm reports today. #miwx,” the service added.
“We’re working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power 24 by 7, around the clock,” said Bill Hutchinson, director of DTE’s emergency preparedness and response for electric. “Wind gusts we’ve seen are greater than 65 mph. We haven’t seen that in our area across DTE since around 2017.”
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To stay safe around electricity after a storm, DTE’s website recommends the following:
- Stay out of flooded/damp basements or other areas if water is in contact with outlets, a furnace or any electrically operated appliance that is energized. The water or moisture may conduct electricity. Contact may cause serious or fatal injury.
- You may have a lot of tree debris in your yard following a storm. Wait until power line repairs are complete before you begin your storm cleanup. Energized power lines may be hidden in the brush. If you see a downed power line, call us immediately at 800.477.4747.
- Know how to reset your circuit breakers. Make sure appliances and electronics are turned off, your hands are dry and you are standing on a dry surface.
- If fuses, instead of circuit breakers, protect your home wiring, you may want to call an electrician for assistance. Make sure you have instructions for your specific type of fuse. Get extra replacement fuses and store them near the fuse panel along with a flashlight.
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
