Amid the heat wave, over 34,000 people are still without power in Southeast Michigan after powerful storms hammered that region on Wednesday night.
In Oakland County, which contains many of Detroit’s northern suburbs, about 24,000 residents were without power on Thursday afternoon. In the bordering Macomb, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties, an additional 10,000 were waiting for their power to be restored.
Parts of the southern half of the state have already endured a string of days with temperatures in the 90s, with the heat expected to linger through the weekend. The high temperatures, combined with high humidity, have increased the risk of heat-related illnesses, and the risk grows with every day that passes with elevated temperatures, according to the National Weather Service’s heat advisories for the region.
In Detroit, the temperature reached a high of 92 degrees on Thursday afternoon. The heat index is forecast to remain in the 90s through the weekend.
DTE Energy, the Detroit-based energy company that serves the area, has restored power for about half of the 69,000 customers who lost it Wednesday night, said Brian Calka, vice president of the company’s distribution operations business unit.
He said the company recognized that losing power was “really inconvenient right now, given the heat.”
Mr. Calka estimated that about 80 percent of the customers who lost power during the storms would have their power restored by the end of Thursday, adding that the rest of the customers should have power by the end of Friday. The company has brought in crews from Ohio, Illinois and Indiana to help, he said.
But Mr. Calka warned that the weather could bring more damage overnight. The National Weather Service has issued severe thunderstorm warnings for parts of the state.
“It’s still hot here, still muggy, still a lot of energy in the atmosphere,” he said. “The metro Detroit area is still in the cross hairs.”