Power outages caused by storms force Detroit Zoo to close on Fourth of July

The Detroit Zoo is closed to the public on Saturday, the Fourth of July, due to power outages caused by storms that recently rolled through Southeast Michigan, according to officials with the site.

The outages are impacting several areas of the Royal Oak-based zoo on West 10 Mile Road. Officials said animal care staff and other zoo employees are on-site to make sure the animals receive the care they need.

According to officials, the zoo plans to reopen on Sunday at 9 a.m. for regular daytime hours if the power is restored by then and they can ensure operations can resume safely.

Anyone who purchased a ticket to visit the zoo during regular operating hours on Saturday will have their ticket honored on any future visit through the end of the year, the business said. Refunds will not be issued for anyone with a ticket who decides not to visit at a later date.

DTE Energy said hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan were without power early on Saturday afternoon after severe storms and strong winds that moved through the state Friday evening. Among those impacted were over 22,000 in Oakland County, where the zoo is located, according to PowerOutage.us.

Power is expected to be restored to 60% of DTE customers who lost service by the end of Saturday, according to the energy company.