DTE Energy said strong winds that tore through Michigan Monday night took down more than 3,000 power lines.
The company is reminding people to stay away from downed lines for their own safety. Downed power lines can be hidden by debris on the ground.
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DTE Energy said they are working to secure downed power lines as quickly as possible. At least one child has died, two other children were injured and two police officers were shocked in incidents involving downed power lines.
“Some schools are back in session, and children are walking around our neighborhoods. We are securing downed power lines as quickly as possible,” DTE Energy said.
Stay away one bus length, or at least 20 feet, away from all lines. You can report downed lines through the DTE Energy website, mobile app or by calling 911.
Read: 8-year-old badly hurt, brother, 2 officers shocked after child tried to swing on live wire in Warren
Here’s how to stay safe
DTE Energy said to follow the following guidelines to stay safe around downed power lines.
- Downed power lines may be hidden by debris, so be sure you and your loved ones watch for these hazards. Stay at least a bus length (20 feet) away from downed power lines and don’t touch anything they may be in contact with such as fences – always consider them live and dangerous.
- Never drive across a downed power line. If a power line falls on your vehicle, call 911 and remain inside until help arrives.
- Do not cross yellow caution tape, which indicates there is a downed power line in the area.
- Never use a portable generator inside a home or business. It emits carbon monoxide, which can be deadly. Keep it outside, away from windows and doors, so the fumes won’t come in.
- Stay out of flooded or damp basements or other areas if water is in contact with outlets or any electrically-operated appliance. The water or moisture may serve as a conductor of electricity, causing serious or even fatal injury.
Read: Aerial images show severe storm damage in Macomb County
What DTE Energy is doing
DTE Storm Response Teams are working continuously to restore more than 260,000 outages.
They expect that around 80% of customers will have their power restored by the end of Thursday.
You can click here to view the DTE Energy outage map. There are more than 1,000 linemen in the field and an additional 1,000 out-of-state linemen have been brought in to help the storm response team.
Crews prioritize the most dangerous situations first, such as downed power lines, then will prioritize restoring power to hospitals and police stations.
Read: Monroe girl electrocuted after accidentally grabbing downed power line