4Warn Weather – Thousands were without power in Southeast Michigan Thursday after storms moved through the area Wednesday.
As of 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 27, more than 164,000 DTE Energy customers were in the dark, according to the utility company’s outage center.
DTE Energy’s director of emergency preparedness and response Bill Hutchinson spoke to the media at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. He said DTE Energy noted wind gusts greater than 65 mph, which he said the company has not seen since 2017.
---> What DTE Energy says about expected restoration after 170K lose power in SE Michigan
Hutchinson said the damage and assessment team and field workers will go out to assess the damage after the second round of severe weather moves through the state. He said DTE Energy brought in 1,000 additional field workers to assist field teams with wire-down calls and restoration efforts.
Hutchinson said when crews can return to the field, they will assess damage and build out power restoration estimates for customers.
Report an outage to DTE here. Report an outage to Consumers Energy here.
What to do if you find downed power lines
Stay at least 20 feet away from downed power lines and keep children and pets inside.
DTE Energy said you should assume that all downed power lines are energized and dangerous.
You can report downed lines to DTE Energy by calling 800-477-4747 or to Consumers Energy by calling 800-477-5050.
If you believe the downed power line poses an immediate danger to the public, you should call 911.
Energized wires that have fallen may whip around, spark or arc as they look for a ground. Energized wires that have found their ground might not move at all or make any sound, but they are still dangerous.
Click here to learn more about electrical safety from DTE Energy.
