First of all, snow?! In April?! S-M-H!!
Michiganders couldn't wait to spring forward to warmer temperatures after another cold winter season in the mid-west. Detroit's 2018 January weather graph looks something like a heart monitor - as temperatures went from 9-degrees the 1st week, to 30-degrees 7 days later. Not good when your fighting to get rid of a cold.
Me personally, I always expect it to be cold in January and February. March, I'm not tripping either. But April, I'm not expecting it to snow AT ALL lol. We've already seen 2 snow days in April, and I'm completely over it. Last Wednesday it literally snowed in the morning, and ended up topping out at 70 degrees. Where they do that at? Pure Michigan - that's where.
With the first day of Summer less than 45 days away, the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Advisory for the SE Michigan area. Wind and freezing rain produced April ice-sickles hanging from electric power lines leaving more than 390,000 DTE customers are without power.
With refrigerated groceries on the verge of spoiling, customers often wonder how long it takes to restore power back into their home or business. Here is DTE's order to restore service, hopefully you'll be back up and running soon.
DTE’s outage restoration process
With more than 390,000 customers impacted by the storm, it’s important we adhere to a prioritized restoration process to ensure power is restored as safely and quickly as possible. Our restoration process begins with:
- Addressing dangerous situations, such as downed power lines.
- Restoring health and safety facilities, like hospitals and police stations.
We then focus on the largest blocks of customers first because, in many cases, we can restore hundreds of customers as quickly as we can restore one. The order is:
- Substations that serve entire communities
- Lines that feed large subdivisions and businesses
- Equipment that powers individual homes
Storm tips
- Never drive across a downed power line. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside until help arrives.
- Always operate generators outdoors to avoid dangerous buildup of toxic fumes.
- Don’t open refrigerators or freezers more often than absolutely necessary. A closed refrigerator will stay cold for 12 hours. Kept closed, a well-filled freezer will preserve food for two days.
- Turn off or unplug all appliances to prevent an electrical overload when power is restored. Leave on one light switch to indicate when power is restored.
- If a customer is elderly or has a medical condition that would be adversely impacted by a power outage, they should try to make alternative accommodations with family or friends.
- During low-voltage conditions – when lights are dim and television pictures are smaller – shut off motor-driven appliances such as refrigerators to prevent overheating and possible damage. Sensitive electronic devices also should be unplugged.
- Stay out of flooded or damp basements or other areas if water is in contact with outlets or any electrically-operated appliance. The water or moisture may serve as a conductor of electricity. This can cause serious or even fatal injury.
- Assemble an emergency kit. It should include a battery-powered radio, a flashlight and candles, extra batteries, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, bottled water and non-perishable food.
- Customers who depend on electrically powered medical equipment should ask their physician about an emergency battery back-up system. If a customer is elderly or has a medical condition that would be adversely impacted by a power outage, they should develop an emergency plan that allows for alternative accommodations with family or friends.
- Keep a corded or cell phone on hand because a cordless telephone needs electricity to operate. Also, customers should learn how to manually open automated garage doors.
- Customers who depend on a well for drinking water need to plan ahead on how they will obtain water. Store containers of water for cooking and washing.