Mass power outages as severe storms sweep through Michigan and the Great Lakes region, U.S.
Image credit: DTE Energy
Severe storms battered Southeast Michigan and the Great Lakes region on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, leaving more than 400 000 utility customers without power — approximately 1 million people. The storms brought hurricane-force winds, and large hail that caused extensive damage, including uprooted trees, downed power lines, and blocked roads.
Severe storms impacted Michigan and the Great Lakes region on Tuesday, causing extensive damage and widespread power outages affecting approximately 1 million people.
In Southeast Michigan, large trees were uprooted, blocking streets and damaging power lines, though no injuries have been reported.
DTE Energy has responded to power outages affecting more than 100 000 customers in the area, as of 19:20 local time (LT) Tuesday. The company advised residents to maintain a safe distance of at least 7.5 m (25 feet) from downed power lines and warned against using portable generators indoors due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Midwest and Great Lakes region experienced similar severe conditions. Over 400 000 utility customers were left without power as thunderstorms brought hurricane-force wind gusts and tennis ball-sized hail. This is about 1 million people — given the average household size in the U.S. of 2.5.
Detroit International Airport recorded a wind gust of 122 km/h (76 mph), matching the strength of a Category 1 hurricane. Similar wind speeds were reported across the region, including 122 km/h (76 mph) at Oakland County International Airport and 101 km/h (63 mph) in Flint, Michigan.
In Illinois, wind gusts between 80 – 96 km/h (50 – 60 mph) hit the Chicago area, with an unofficial report of a 129 km/h (80 mph) gust in Wauconda. These winds caused significant damage, toppling trees, bringing down electrical lines, blocking roads, and damaging homes and businesses. Large hail was also reported, with the largest being 6.4 cm (2.5 inches) in diameter in Woodstock, Illinois.
As of 15:00 UTC on August 28, nearly 304 269 customers in Michigan remained without power, alongside 15 614 in Illinois, and 25 717 in Minnesota. By 07:00 UTC on August 29, there were still 125 155 customers without power in Michigan, 6 009 in Illinois, and 5 116 in Minnesota.
“Thousands of DTE employees as well as 1 200 line workers from outside our area are in the field today addressing power outages,” the energy company spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“We expect that 90% of customers impacted by the storm will have their power restored by the end of the day Thursday.”
References:
1 Severe thunderstorms bring hurricane-force wind gusts, tennis ball-sized hail to Great Lakes region – Fox Weather – August 27, 2024
2 Severe weather leaves storm damage, power outages in Metro Detroit – CBS – August 27, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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