FOX 2 Detroit said severe storms put all of Southeast Michigan under tornado warning Thursday, with warnings spread across Wayne County, Oakland County, Macomb County, Washtenaw County and Monroe County as the afternoon threat moved through Metro Detroit. Detroit Metro Airport also faced a ground stop while DTE crews worked on outages.
By 2:40 p.m., more than 110,000 DTE customers lacked power. DTE Director of Operations Jerry Tullio said, "80% of customers impacted by the first wave of the storm can expect to see service restored by the end of the day on Thursday."
Wayne County and Metro Detroit
The National Weather Service said the tornado warning for Wayne County, including Detroit, Dearborn and Livonia, would last until 4:30 p.m. The warnings for Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties were set to run until 4:15 p.m., while Monroe County remained under warning until 5 p.m. Livingston County was first included in the regional threat, then dropped while the other counties stayed under warning.
Heavy thunder, lightning and downpours had already hit Metro Detroit on Wednesday night and Thursday morning before the tornado warnings arrived Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service said the storms could stick around through the early afternoon, with wind gusts up to 70 mph and risks that included tree damage and impacts to mobile homes and roofs.
Detroit Metro Airport and DTE
The weather also disrupted travel. A ground stop was ordered for Detroit Metro Airport as thunderstorms moved through the region, adding another layer of delay while the warnings stayed active across Southeast Michigan. DTE said the most significant storm damage affecting service was along the I-96 corridor.
Tullio said 400 linemen from out of state were already helping, with another 800 on their way later Thursday afternoon. That response was aimed at restoring service while the first wave of outages was still spreading.
David Nelson's warning
Detroit Chief of Fire Operations David Nelson told people to "assume power lines are electrified if you see them and to stay at least 25 feet away from any downed lines." He also said to keep distance if a line is touching anything and to keep children away.
Nelson said that if a power line has fallen on a home, people should leave the home and immediately call 911. With more storms expected later in the evening, the immediate focus in Metro Detroit was on staying clear of downed lines, following the warnings by county and waiting for power restoration to catch up with the damage already done.
