Thestate's two big utility companies saytheir crews are working away at restoring electricity to residential and businesscustomers who lost power this weekend, but it will likely be Wednesday before the job is complete.
DTE Energy reports that it is on trackto restore power to 80% of customers by the end of the day Monday, 90% by the end of the day Tuesday and the remainder by the end of the day Wednesday.
More than a half a million homes and businessesin metro Detroit and across the statelost powerwhen two violent thunderstorms rolled through Michigan on Friday and Saturday, knocking down trees and power lines and causing widespread power outages.
Wind gusts Saturday were in excess of 70 miles per hour in some areas, making this the worst storm this year and one of the largest since March 2017, DTE said.
As of 9 p.m. Sunday, about 290,000 DTE Energy customers across southeast Michigan remain without power.
The utilitysaid it hasreceived more than 2,000 reports of downed power lines wires since Friday.
DTE said it has restored power to about 310,000 customers since Friday. More than 600,000 have been affected since storms began.
More than 1,100 employees and contractorsare working to restore power, including about 750 additional workers from out-of-state who joined the effort to speed it up, according to a DTE news release.
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Consumers Energy crews have restored power to more than 162,500 of the 220,000 homes and businesses affected by this weekend’s major storms.As of 9 p.m. Sunday, about 57,500customers were without power.Consumers Energy expects the majority of the customers will be restored by the end of the day Tuesday.
“Better weather today has allowed our crews to make good progress at restoring service throughout our service territory,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president of electric operations, in a press release Sunday. “We sincerely appreciate our customers’ patience, and continue to encourage people to check in on family, friends and neighbors, and seek out cooling centers or other resources in their communities as needed.”
More than 1,700 Consumers Energy employees and contractors were joined by lineworkers from six states —Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri— to address the power outage.
Sunday morning, Consumers Energy volunteers handed out ice and water in Jenison, near Grand Rapids, a community hit hard by the storms. Consumers Energy handed out ice, water and ice cream until 9 p.m. Sunday at Huff Park in Grand Rapids.
To report a DTE Energy outage, call 800-477-4747 or go tohttps://emergency.dteenergy.com/report-outage.
To report a Consumers Energy outage, call800-477-5050 or go tohttps://www.consumersenergy.com/outages/report-outage.
A list of cooling centers across Michigan can be found at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/outages/extreme-heat.
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DTE Energy offers these tips during power outages:
- Never drive across a downed power line. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside until help arrives.
- Always operate generators outdoorsto avoid dangerous buildup of toxic fumes.
- Don’t open refrigerators or freezersmore often than absolutely necessary. A closed refrigerator will stay cold for 12 hours. Kept closed, a well-filled freezer will preserve food for two days.
- Turn off or unplug all appliancesto prevent an electrical overload when power is restored. Leave on one light switch to indicate when power is restored.
- If a customer iselderlyor has amedical conditionthat would be adversely impacted by a power outage, they should try to make alternative accommodations with family or friends.
- During low-voltage conditions —when lights are dim and television pictures are smaller —shut off motor-driven appliancessuch as refrigerators to prevent overheating and possible damage. Sensitive electronic devices also should be unplugged.
- Stay out of flooded or damp basem*ntsor other areas if water is in contact with outlets or any electrically-operated appliance. The water or moisture may serve as a conductor of electricity. This can cause serious or even fatal injury.
- Assemble an emergency kit. It should include a battery-powered radio, a flashlight and candles, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, bottled water and non-perishable food.
- Customers who depend onelectrically powered medical equipmentshould ask their physician about an emergency battery back-up system. If a customer is elderly or has a medical condition that would be adversely impacted by a power outage, they should develop an emergency plan that allows for alternative accommodations with family or friends.
- Keep a corded or cell phone on handbecause a cordless telephone needs electricity to operate. Also, customers should learn how to manually open automated garage doors.
- Customers who depend on a well fordrinking waterneed to plan ahead on how they will obtain water. Store containers of water for cooking and washing.
Contact Amy Huschka at ahuschka@freepress.com or follow her on Twitter at@aetmanshuschka.
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