Thousands still without power in Metro Detroit multiple days after severe weather
Thousands still without power after Friday storms
Pulling up to a Livonia neighborhood on Club Drive will have visitors met with the sound of generators powering homes as many residents are still without electricity.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - DTE reports more than 70,000 people remain without power following severe storms during the July 4 weekend as crews work to restore service.
Local perspective:
Pulling up to a Livonia neighborhood on Club Drive will have visitors met with the sound of generators powering homes as many residents are still without electricity.
"It's getting to the point where you want it to be over with," said homeowner Andy Vernier. "I want my air conditioning on because it's warm. It was the holiday weekend, and we had to cancel some plans."
On Friday night, severe storms rolled through the area, bringing 60 to 70 mile-per-hour wind gusts which brought down trees – and power lines.
The sum total of damage totaled 300,000 DTE customers in the dark.
"We've gone through four 20-pound bags of ice to try and keep the items in the refrigerator safe, and we've had the generator hooked up since Saturday afternoon," said resident Laura Shoemaker. "We've been constantly running to get more gas to keep it fueled, and as you can imagine, this is very uncomfortable. I just learned about the petition that's been posted on Facebook to hold DTE accountable, and I'll be signing that petition."
The other side:
DTE tells FOX 2 it has been working tirelessly to restore power and hopes to have the job finished by the end of the day Tuesday.
"Since Friday's storm, our own crews, coupled with contractors from across the country, have worked around the clock to restore power for affected customers," a DTE spokesperson said. "The conditions they've been working in have been extremely difficult. However, we're really happy to report that we've restored power to more than 325,000 customers in less than 48 hours. That means 85% of customers affected by Friday's event have had their power restored."
DTE reminds the public to remain at least 25 feet away from downed power lines or anything in contact with them. Assume any downed line is live and dangerous.
What's next:
At last check, more than 96% of customers had their power restored. Attorney General Dana Nessel is encouraging anyone experiencing extended power outages to report them.
For more information, use this link for the DTW Outage Map.