dte energy: Wicked winds knock out power to 340,000 in Michigan

Forceful winds whipped through Metro Detroit early Sunday, downing power lines and trees and leaving more than 340,000 customers in Metro Detroit and across the state without power.

A DTE Energy spokesman said more than 200,000 customers were without power as of 10:30 a.m. today, mostly in Oakland and Wayne counties. Consumers Energy had roughly 140,000 across the state without power.

Len Singer, a DTE spokesman, said it's too early to say how long it'll take to restore power but it'll likely take "several days." He said the high winds, expected to last throughout today, are complicating efforts.

"We do have some crews out and were attempting to get some crews from other states," Singer said. "Everyone whose available" is out.

Downed power lines and trees closed some roads in Metro Detroit, including Square Lake Road east of Woodward.

Singer cautioned people to stay away from lines that have fallen.

"We have a lot of power lines that are down so we're attempting to get those de-energized," he said.

The winds, which got up 60 miles per hour in some areas, were caused by a cold front coming through the area with a low pressure system behind it. They're expected to last throughout the day but decrease in force, said Dave Kook, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

But "it's going to be windy all day," Kook said. "...Those low pressure systems can be quite strong."

You can reach Maureen Feighan at (248) 647-7416 or mfeighan@detnews.com.


Source: detnews.com