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Severe weather disrupts power to over 80,000 customers in Metro Detroit
By
Paula Wethington
Web Producer
Paula Wethington is a digital producer at CBS Detroit. She previously held digital content roles at NEWSnet, Gannett/USA Today network and The Monroe News in Michigan. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
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September 3, 2026 / 5:53 AM EDT
/ CBS Detroit
A line of intense thunderstorms Wednesday night in Metro Detroit, which included a tornado warning for St. Clair County, resulted in massive power outages across the region.
DTE’s outage map showed 80,388 power interruptions at 5:50 a.m. Thursday, a scenario that had already topped 49,000 by midnight Wednesday and continued to worsen overnight. Most of those affected are in Oakland or Wayne counties; but Livingston County residents also were hit hard by power outages. DTE provides electricity to most of southeast Michigan.
The circumstances have led to traffic lights being out at intersections, downed tree limbs, and over a dozen school closings.
Power outages and food safety
If you lose power to a refrigerator or freezer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says to keep the doors closed on those appliances. A fully stocked refrigerator can stay cold for about four hours; if the power outage lasts longer, then transfer perishable foods into a cooler stocked with ice. A freezer will keep its temperature for 24 hours if half full, or 48 hours if full.
The Michigan State University extension service has a list of commonly refrigerated foods and whether they can be saved if the power goes out.
Power outages and SNAP benefits
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says families who purchased food with SNAP assistance, but lost electricity for at least four hours due to a power outage, may be eligible to receive some of their money back.
Those impacted must contact their local MDHHS office, apply within 10 days of the outage, detail what they lost, including the dollar amount, and provide proof of power loss to receive new funds.
