Power out for thousands in southeast Michigan as storms hammer region
Julia CardiSevere weather slammed southeast Michigan again Thursday evening, a one-two punch as the area was cleaning up after storms that knocked down trees and power lines Wednesday. And the threat isn’t over, the weather service said.
The storms Wednesday and Thursday hit Oakland County hard, with flash flooding reported in Royal Oak by Thursday afternoon.
Beverly Hills, dealing with downed power lines and trees in the roads, declared a state of emergency and required residents to remove vehicles from the streets to allow crews to “safely access the lines and trees.”
DTE reported at total of 26,213 customers without power Thursday night. Consumers Energy reported 3,809 people without power.
Street flooding also developed. Industrial Road and 14 Mile in Clawson was closed Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported.
Some areas grappled with high winds, which downed trees at Snell and Mt. Vernon Roads in Washington, according to the weather service. Winds of 43 mph were reported in Mason; 62 mph winds were reported in Rockford.
Berkley’s website said the city would pick up downed branches over 4 feet long at residents’ curbs through Friday without yard waste tags needed. Residents of Clawson can put fallen branches at their curbs next Wednesday for compost collection. Branches not longer than 4 feet, cut up if needed, can be bundled for yard waste collection, the city said.
Thursday reached a high temperature in Detroit of 93 at 1:54 p.m. Temperatures were expected to reach 90 on Friday, with another chance of thunderstorms during the day and again at night, according to the weather service. By Saturday, a high of 95 was expected and a chance of showers during the day and thunderstorms again at night. Sunday brings an expected high of 89 and another chance of thunderstorms.
Thursday’s severe weather came as southwest Michigan was still digging itself out of the damage from Wednesday’s storms, which left more than 40,000 DTE customers without power late Wednesday. The company said in a statement on its website crews were working around the clock to restore power.
Other damage from storms included:
A massive tree was knocked down on Lockerbie Road near Southfield Road in Beverly Hills on Wednesday.
Orion Road near Collins in Rochester flooded from steady rain. The parking lot at the Oakland Township Parks and Recreation Commission in Rochester at the same intersection also flooded.
Trees were down on Buckingham near Southfield Road in Beverly Hills
A transformer was hit by a tree on the 1600 block of north Livernois in Rochester Hills.
Wayne County could see a brief respite from storms Monday and Tuesday next week. The weather service said there was a 40% chance of rain Tuesday night, and thunderstorms could return Wednesday with a 30% chance of rain.