PORT HURON, Mich. – DTE Energy is still working to restore power in Port Huron.
The city started with 30,000 residents being without power Thursday (Sept. 23) morning. The number has decreased as the day went on.
The cleanup and recovery process is still underway for thousands who are still without power. Storms caused dozens of trees to fall, toppling power lines within the city.
“This is fairly scary. Mother Nature, you don’t mess with her,” Port Huron resident Jeni Hayward-Gehlmane said.
Hayward-Gehlmane and her son were home when a large tree came crashing down onto their house.
“The whole house shook and I panicked pretty bad,” she said.
Read: SE Michigan rainfall totals this week
Hayward-Gehlmane said she was looking at lightning from inside her enclosed porch when she realized danger was just a strong gust of wind away.
“Not even 20 seconds, I could hear the tree separate or splinter,” Hayward-Gehlmane said.
Hayward-Gehlmane said she moved out of the way before the tree came down.
“I could have just stood there and froze. Looking at the damage afterward and how bad it is -- I’m just grateful that I didn’t,” Hayward-Gehlmane said.
Marie lives three miles away from Hayward-Gehlmane. She said her family was at home watching a movie when the lights flickered and they lost power.
“We were here at home watching the movie and next thing we know, powers flickering and it went dark. It was very scary for the kids, myself,” Marie Stebbins said.
Stebbins’ neighbor, Robin Champan-Loxun, said she believes she saw flashes of a power line coming down during the storm.
“It looked like a big ball, this big. A blue and green, brightest light you’ve ever seen,” Champan-Loxun said.
Because of the 100+ lines knocked down, power will be out until crews from DTE can get it restored. In meantime, the company is hoping to soften the blow by passing out ice and other resources to those in the dark.
“It’s without power, but we’re managing. Gotta do what you gotta do,” Stebbins said.
Crews are hoping to have that power restored as soon as possible. At the latest, Friday is when the entire area should be back to normal. No injuries were reported.
Read: Tracking DTE Energy power outages in SE Michigan -- Sept. 23, 2021