DTE Energy to bring in 500 additional crews to help restore power

Power should be restored for most by end of Sunday, officials say

DETROIT – Widespread power outages caused by intense winds have prompted DTE Energy to call in hundreds of out-of-state crews to help restore power to Southeastern Michigan residents.

All of Metro Detroit faced a high wind warning Saturday, as the windy day produced gusts over 60 mph at times through the afternoon, causing tens of thousands of customers to lose power. At some point in the day, more than 160,000 customers had lost power due to the severe weather.

Several neighborhoods faced uprooted trees and toppling power lines amid the high winds.

More: Strong winds cause power outages, extensive damage across Metro Detroit

According to DTE, the Metro Detroit area suffered from more than 1,500 downed wires, broken poles and tree-related damage.

As of 8:20 a.m. Sunday, about 70,000 DTE Energy customers were without power. At that time, power was restored to about 90,000 customers so far, officials said. We’re tracking Sunday power outages right here.

The Detroit-based utility company said Saturday that it would be calling in 500 additional crews to help restore power to affected customers. Officials say power is expected to be restored to most customers, 80%-90%, by the end of the day Sunday.

The company says it hopes to have power restored to all schools in time for class on Monday.

Power outages affected Consumers Energy customers throughout the rest of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula on Saturday, as well. Officials say power is expected to be restored to most of those customers by the end of Monday.

If you come across downed power lines, do not touch them or go anywhere near them. Report the downed lines to authorities or your utility company, and be sure to stay at least 20 feet away. Yellow caution tape indicates that there is a downed power line in the area -- for your own safety, officials say you should not cross the caution tape.

Report an outage to DTE here. Report an outage to Consumers Energy here.



Related: Kentucky hardest hit as storms leave dozens dead in 5 states


About the Author:

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.