As the heat wave persists in southeastern Michigan, more than 40,000 DTE Energy customers started the day in the dark and without air conditioning and fans.
Efforts to turn the power back on progressed through the morning into the afternoon, but fast-moving storms added to the outages after early success.
The outages came after Wednesday night’s storms that moved throughout the region, bringing intense rains along wit plenty of lightning and thunder.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, 40,842 outages were reported, scattered throughout the area, according to DTE Energy. Just before 11 a.m., it was up to 41,133 homes and businesses.
By noon, the number of customers without electricity was steadily declining, down to just under 38,000, and then at 12:30 p.m., it was just above 36,000 before dipping to 33,000 by 2 p.m.
While the area was in the high 70s at this point in the mid-morning, the high on Thursday was expected to reach into the upper 80s, according to accuweather.com.
New storms
But by 2 p.m., temperatures had crept up into the 90s with a thunderstorm developing over northeastern Oakland County and moving eastward into Macomb County.
That was followed by a second round of storms moving across Oakland County southeastward into Macomb County, prompting both a severe thunderstorm warning as well as a flood advisory in the region.
By 4 p.m., the National Weather Service added a flash flood warning for Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties.
Specifically, the flash flood warning, which expires at 8:15 p.m., impacts southwestern Macomb County, southeastern Oakland County, and north central Wayne County.
“At 4:05 p.m., Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain with reports of flooding in Royal Oak,” the NWS reported. “Between 1 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is already occurring.”
The National Weather Service further said:
“Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage and low-lying areas.
“Some locations that will experience flash flooding include… Warren, Livonia, Troy, Southfield, St. Clair Shores, Detroit, Sterling Heights, Dearborn, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Clinton, Detroit Zoo, Rochester Hills, Roseville, Eastpointe, Madison Heights, Oak Park, Hamtramck, Ferndale and Hazel Park.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
The new storms added to the power outage totals, upping the number to nearly 35,000.
As work continued, it was down to 34,000 by 4:30 p.m.
Another hot day
“Very warm and humid with sunshine and some clouds; an afternoon thunderstorm; gusty winds and small hail can accompany any downpour,” accuweather reported Thursday morning. “Tonight: Partly cloudy and humid; little relief from the heat.”
The ongoing heat advisory is set to end at 10 p.m. Thursday.
“Heat index values peak in the mid to upper 90s,” the National Weather Service says. “Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses. Impacts of heat stress continue to increase with each consecutive abnormally hot day.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circ*mstances.”
DTE Energy reminds people to always stay at least 25 feet away from any downed power lines and anything they are touching.
“Consider them live and dangerous,” the utility says.
The outages are scattered throughout the region, with thousands impacted in southern Oakland County. Numerous scattered outages are also reported in southern Macomb County.
Large outages have occurred in Southfield, Farmington Hills, Birmingham and Bloomfield Township, and Madison Heights.
Cooling center opened in Farmington Hills.
Most of the outages are listed as being caused by wind damage.
Many of the outages occurred Wednesday night at about 10 p.m., though some were a few hours earlier. Several large outages have just been reported this morning, especially in the
Most of the estimates for restoration list today with no time yet given.
Some of the outage zones include a note that it is anticipated that 75% of customers will be restored by the end of the day, Thursday.
Two large outage areas are in Ann Arbor as well.
Downriver and the Dearborn area show only small scattered outages.
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