Metro Detroit outages: 23,000 DTE customers without power after high winds
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Power outages were major problem for Metro Detroit after Wednesday's wind advisory included wind speeds hitting 40 and even 50 miles per hour.
At 9 p.m. DTE Energy said that power has been restored to 71 percent of customers with 55,000 of the 78,000 customers impacted by the weather. DTE said that it expects to restore power to the 23,000 still without power before 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
"Remaining outages are scattered throughout southeast Michigan; most of these outages were caused by extensive tree damage. Our crews will continue to work around the clock to clear trees and debris from the energy grid, and to repair damage and restore power to affected customers as safely and quickly as possible," DTE said in a statement.
Check the DTE Energy Outage Center here
Check out Consumers Energy's outage information here
Winds were holding steady around 15 to 30 but will gust to around 40 and, in some places, close to 50 miles per hour.
Consumers had reported more than 24,000 people without power, that's less than 1 percent of their customers but 176 crews are working the 580 outages.
Energy companies, including Consumers Energy, are reminding everyone to stay at least 25 feet away from a downed wire and anything it is touching.
If you see a downed wire, assume it is energized and call 911.
The short week could wreak havoc as we all try to plan for the holiday.