Early Saturday, approximately 400,000 electric customers in Michigan were left without power after severe thunderstorms swept through southern Michigan on Friday afternoon. This weather event was particularly disruptive, with Wayne County emerging as the most affected area, reporting around 129,000 customers without electricity. Oakland County was also significantly impacted, with approximately 30,000 customers experiencing outages. Additional reports indicated over 23,000 outages in Kalamazoo County, along with notable disruptions in Macomb, Monroe, Jackson, Van Buren, and Berrien counties.
Among the utility companies, DTE Energy reported that 221,000 of its customers were affected, while Consumers Energy indicated that 115,000 customers were left without service. In response to the widespread outages, DTE mobilized 500 team members to work on restoration efforts. The company also announced that additional crews from out of state are en route to assist. “We expect that 95% of affected customers will have their power restored by the end of the day on Monday,” the company stated on its website.
On the other hand, Consumers Energy highlighted the mobilization of 300 crews, ready to work both day and night in up to 16-hour shifts to safely restore power. “Our lineworkers will be available to work around the clock to ensure a rapid response,” the company reported.
The thunderstorms that caused such widespread disruption moved through Michigan at speeds of around 45 mph and were accompanied by wind gusts reaching up to 79 mph. Additionally, a tornado warning was issued for Ingham County during this stormy period. The Lansing Board of Water & Light also reported about 6,000 customers experiencing outages due to the inclement weather.
For residents seeking to check on outages or report power issues, various utility companies provided specific outage maps and report lines. DTE Energy urged customers to stay at least 25 feet away from any downed power lines, emphasizing that those lines should be considered live and dangerous. Consumers Energy and several other local energy providers similarly offered resources to assist customers in reporting outages and ensuring safety during the restoration process.
