Thousands of Metro Detroit residents without power as heat wave builds
Thousands of Metro Detroit residents faced power outages late Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
The circumstances are amid an extreme heat warning that went into effect Tuesday for Southeast Michigan, with the weather alert expected to last until late Thursday.
DTE provides electricity for most of Southeast Michigan. The DTE power outage maps showed 6,644 of its customers without power at 8:37 p.m. Tuesday. That count was at 3,928 at 10 p.m. Tuesday, and at 5,029 at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Those outages are scattered across the metro area, including in Madison Heights, Troy and Warren.
DTE has not confirmed whether the collection of outages is directly related to the heat, but the company said that the heat wave is putting a strain on the grid.
Because of the weather, local officials have opened dozens of cooling centers where residents without air conditioning can get out of the heat. Those who have lost power are among those welcome.
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.
