A string of severe thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon has caused power outages for 100,616 Michigan customers as of 5:20 p.m. on July 26, according to the DTE Energy power outage map. As of 6:31 p.m., that number had swelled to more than 121,400 customers.
The storms, which began shortly after 3 p.m. in several Southeastern Michigan regions, is having the most impact on residents in the western Wayne County and eastern Washtenaw County but residents as far south as Temperance, as far west as Chelsea, as far north as Caseville, and as far east as Port Huron are all without power.
DTE has released several updates and weather warnings via email, website, and its social media channels.
“The extreme weather has caused downed power lines and outages in our service territory. You can alert our Storm Response Teams to outages and downed power lines at http://outage.dteenergy.com, through the DTE Energy Mobile app or by calling 800-477-4747,” the company shared in a tweet.
On its outage map website, DTE released the following statement: “We anticipate severe weather and potential outages Wednesday afternoon. Our Storm Response Teams are ready to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Please be safe and remember to stay at least 25 feet from any downed power lines — assume they are live and dangerous. Report any outage or downed line.”
DTE offered several other tips for people to stay safe during outages:
- Safety for the community is always DTE’s top priority. Downed power lines may be hidden by debris, so be careful as you head outside. Remember a power line doesn’t always spark, make noise or jump around. It could lay on the ground like a stick or snake.
- Everyone should also heed the warning of yellow caution tape, which indicates there is a downed power line in the area. Do not cross yellow caution tape.
- Never use a portable generator inside a home or business. It emits carbon monoxide, which can be deadly. Keep it outside, away from windows and doors, so the fumes won’t come in.
Also as of 6:30 p.m., DTE had dispatched more than 970 field resources to assist in the assessment and restoration of service to the 121,000-plus affected customers.