Intense thunderstorms that swept across Metro Detroit overnight into Wednesday knocked out power to more than 115,000 DTE Energy customers, with the utility estimating 80 percent restoration by the end of the day Thursday. The outage marks one of the largest recent disruptions in the region, though smaller than a July 3 storm that left over 168,000 without power.
A line of severe thunderstorms moved through Southeast Michigan Wednesday evening and overnight, bringing damaging winds and torrential rain. Wind gusts reached 70 mph in Howell and 51 mph at Detroit City Airport as the system developed, toppling trees and downing power lines across the region.
DTE’s outage map showed 115,534 power interruptions at 12:14 p.m. Thursday. Most affected customers are in Oakland and Wayne counties, though Livingston County residents also experienced widespread outages. The storm damage included trees falling on homes in Madison Heights and significant damage in Center Line, where a tree fell onto a car and blocked the street.
DTE said it had been monitoring forecasts and preparing for the severe weather for several days in advance, pre-positioning crews and resources. As of Thursday morning, more than 2,600 DTE Storm Response Team members had been assigned to handle the outage response, including 400 lineworkers brought in from out of state. The utility also reported downed tree limbs and traffic lights out at multiple intersections across the region.
Beyond power outages, the storms caused additional disruptions. Detroit Metro Airport experienced flight delays and closings, while the Michigan Department of Transportation reported that flooding temporarily blocked eastbound I-94 near Gratiot Avenue in Wayne County overnight. Several local roads in Livingston County’s Brighton Township were also closed due to storm damage. A tent at Campus Martius in Detroit was damaged, with banners shredded by the high winds. Multiple schools across Southeast Michigan closed Thursday due to the widespread outages and damage.
For customers experiencing prolonged outages, Michigan law provides automatic credits of $42 per day for expenses related to long-duration power outages. Eligibility depends on outage duration and the percentage of a utility’s customer base affected. Families who lost food purchased with SNAP assistance due to at least four hours of power loss may also be eligible to receive replacement funds by contacting their local Michigan Department of Health and Human Services office within 10 days of the outage.
The September 3 outage reflects an ongoing pattern of severe weather disruptions in Michigan. Earlier in the summer, a July 3 derecho-like storm knocked out power to nearly 450,000 DTE customers at its peak, with over 168,000 still without electricity hours later. That event prompted criticism of DTE’s response and sparked discussions about grid resilience. The utility has said it is working to strengthen the power grid and improve restoration times in future events.
Sources
- CBS News Detroit — confirmed 115,534 power interruptions, wind gusts up to 70 mph, storm damage details, DTE response team size and out-of-state crew deployment
- DTE Energy Outage Center — 80 percent restoration estimate by end of day
- Click on Detroit — downed trees and power lines, storm damage across region
- Detroit News — severe thunderstorm warnings and wind gust details
- Michigan Department of Transportation — I-94 flooding closure information
