Over 24,000 DTE customers lost power due to Thursday night storms
Thousands of Southeast Michigan residents remain without power Friday morning in the aftermath of severe weather that struck the state overnight.
The storms that arrived in Michigan late Thursday were part of a severe weather outbreak in the Great Lakes that resulted in tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings in multiple states. The Chicago area was particularly hit hard.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for Southwest Michigan and Mid-Michigan at 8:07 p.m., then issued a tornado watch for Metro Detroit about 10:45 a.m. The Southeast Michigan tornado watch remained in effect until 2 a.m.
DTE, which provides electricity to most of Southeast Michigan, had 24,044 customers without power about 2 a.m. Friday, according to its outage map. That number had not improved by 7 a.m., with 24,460 power outages reported in Metro Detroit and nearby communities.
Consumers Energy, which provides electricity to parts of Monroe and Lenawee County, along with much of the Mid-Michigan area, indicated on its outage map that 36,394 of its customers were without power about 2 a.m. Friday. That number had improved to 34,755 by 6 a.m. Many of those affected were communities just north of the Michigan-Indiana border.
Tree limbs and branches were down in numerous areas, including in Dearborn, Dundee, Ferndale, and Raisin Township. The damage in Dearborn included a tree that fell on a house.
The Michigan Department of Transportation also reported about 3:45 a.m. on its traffic map that there was flooding on the Lodge Freeway near Interstate 94.
There are some school closings on Friday as a result of the storm damage, including Branch Line School in Livonia, which reported it has no power at the building.
This has been a busy severe weather season in Michigan, with 18 tornadoes confirmed so far, including two noted on Tuesday.
Power outages and food
If you do lose power to a refrigerator or freezer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says to keep the doors closed on those appliances.
A fully stocked refrigerator can stay cold for about four hours; if the power outage lasts longer, then transfer perishable foods into a cooler stocked with ice. A freezer will keep its temperature for 24 hours if half full, or 48 hours if full.
