Hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan were left without power after powerful storms hit the state, causing widespread blackouts, flooding, and school closures. Over 337,000 homes and businesses were affected, with outages stretching across the Grand Rapids area and Detroit. Many schools canceled classes due to the power outages.
The forecast warned of hot and humid conditions, with temperatures in the upper 80s but feeling like the low to mid 90s due to humidity. The storms also caused damage to homes and structures, closed roadways due to flooding, and led to chaos at intersections with traffic signals out of commission.
Utility crews worked to restore power to the affected areas, with Consumers Energy reporting 120,000 customers still without power and promising to distribute free water and ice. DTE, Michigan’s other large utility, had over 203,000 customers without power, with 80,000 of them in Oakland County alone. They were bringing in additional line workers to help speed up the restoration process.
The National Weather Service described the storms as a rare event, with instability seen only once or twice a year. The focus was on getting power restored to those affected and ensuring that people could stay cool in the hot conditions. Despite the challenges, officials thanked residents for their patience and reassured them that efforts were underway to address the aftermath of the powerful storms.
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