Monster Wind Storm Knocks Out Power To Half A Million Detroit-Area Residents: Updated

(Updated) METRO DETROIT, MI — About 675,000 people in southeast Michigan are without power due to extreme winds, with the hardest hit areas in Wayne, Oakland , Macomb and Washtenaw counties, energy companies said. DTE Energy said on Twitter that 500,000 customers are without power. Consumers Energy said another 175,000 statewide are in the dark.

Statewide, some 852,000 utility customers were affected by the wind storm, which DTE Energy said was the second-worst storm in the utility's history. Power outages were coming in at a rate of about 1,000 a minute, DTE spokeswoman Randi Berris said. Some 2,000 power lines used by DTE were down, according to reports.

“At times, winds have gusted up to 60 mph, causing extensive tree damage, resulting in more than 2,000 downed wires so far,” DTE Energy said in a statement. “Customers should stay at least 20 feet away from all power lines and anything they may contact, and consider them live. They are extremely dangerous. Treat every downed power line as if it is energized.”

DTE said in an update Wednesday afternoon that the first priority of its crews would be to eliminate downed power lines to ensure the safety of the public.

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`Fully restoring power could take several days and some areas may not have power until Sunday, The Detroit News reported.

“We have crews working around the clock in difficult weather conditions,” Guy Packard, vice president of energy operations for Consumers Energy, told the newspaper. “With the rough weather continuing, we expect this to be a multi-day restoration effort.”

DTE Energy said it expects help from crews from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Pennsylvania to arrive in Michigan Thursday morning to help with the restoration effort.

Across the four-county area, tree damage was extensive.

There were other problems as well. A University of Michigan airplane crashed while trying to take off from the Willow Run Airport at Ypsilanti, located in Washtenaw County. No one was hurt in the mishap, but the plane was heavily damaged. The team was on the way to Washington, D.C., to compete in the Big Ten tournament.

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The Detroit Metro Airport said on its website that some arriving flights may be delayed up to half an hour due to the high winds. Check with your airline to determine if your flight is affected.

People on the top floors of the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit were urged to stay away from windows, and those inside said they could feel the building swaying, WWJ/CBS Detroit reported.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard urged residents to use extreme caution as wind gusts up to 65 miles per hour. Reports of downed power lines, non-working traffic signals, downed trees and large branches, and traffic accidents due to the wind gusts are coming in from all areas of the county.

“Please do not go near a downed power line and be aware of the potential for fallen trees, branches, and blowing debris that may cause a potentially dangerous situation,” Bouchard said in a statement.

Bouchard asked residents to report any cases of power outages to their power provider and report any emergency situations by dialing 911.

Craig Bryson, a spokesman for the Oakland County Road Commission, told the Detroit Free Press that 80 traffic signals were knocked out, and another 48 reverted to flashing mode, which happens during power outages. Crews were reporting to major intersection with portable generators to get the signals working again.

In the city of Birmingham, Lincoln Street was closed from Washington to Bates, and Taunton Street is closed from Croft to Lincoln due to downed wires. More information is available online.

The city of Royal Oak said all Wednesday events at the Mahany Meinigner Community Center had been canceled due to the power outage. Other city facilities, including the Salter Center, are open for evening events/programs. Trees were reported down across the city.

The city of Detroit asked residents to only call 911 in the event of police, fire or medical emergencies. Power outages should be reported directly to DTE Energy at (800) 477-4747.

"Due to the high wind conditions, Communications Operations is experiencing an abnormally high volume of calls for service to 911," the city said in a statement. "Additional call taking staff have been added, and the Telephone Crime Reporting Unit is receiving the overflow calls. Communications Operations supervisors and TCRU are closely monitoring this situation."

The Macomb County Administration Building closed for the remainder of the day because of the power outage, according to a press release.

The National Weather Service said the high winds were expected to continue until 7 p.m. before calming overnight. Wind speeds of less than 10 mph on Thursday. The high for Thursday is expected to be 42 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

Photo by Tamara McCauley via Flickr Commons