Plymouth, Michigan Faces Aftermath of Severe Storms
PLYMOUTH, Mich. — The small city of Plymouth is picking up the pieces after a whirlwind of storms rolled through, leaving extensive damage in their wake. Residents are sharing their experiences, and its clear that the north end of the city took a real beating. Reports indicate that winds reached speeds of over 70 miles per hour, uprooting trees and knocking down power lines like they were mere twigs.
“My neighbor called me at three in the morning saying that there’s a disaster that’s happened,” said Mary Rapai, a resident of Plymouth, recalling the unsettling night. Many in the area reported feeling the full force of the strong winds, which twisted and turned, creating havoc across the community.
“I don’t care how young the tree is, I don’t think they’re going to come through unscathed,” Rapai added, voicing a sentiment that many residents feel. Trees, once standing proudly, are now left in disarray after the storm, leading some to wonder if any of them were safe to withstand such fierce winds. Art Guzman, owner of Art’s Residential Tree Service, explained further, “No tree is sacred to any given wind, regardless of what condition it’s in. It was really the twisting winds that caused the most damage.”
Cleanup Efforts Underway
In light of the destruction, city officials are urging residents to help out by bundling branches and other debris from their yards and placing them by the curb. Local crews are working overtime to clear the mess, but the scope of the damage is significant. This effort is being supported by DTE Energy, who reported that over 300,000 customers faced power outages, stretching from The Thumb all the way down to the Ohio border.
Brian Calka, the vice president of Distribution Operations for DTE Energy, emphasized the complexity of the situation. “This is not necessarily lifting a limb off of a line and restoring power. You’ve got broken poles, you have broken infrastructure. Replacing that infrastructure can take a little bit of time,” he explained, highlighting the challenges ahead for restoration efforts.
Smart Technology Helping Restore Power
Despite the extensive damage, many Plymouth residents are finding themselves in the fortunate situation of not being left completely in the dark. Thanks to DTE’s smart grid technology, the utility was able to restore power to over 169,000 customers as of Wednesday afternoon. This year alone, they have installed 250 of these so-called “reclosers,” allowing field operators to remotely reroute power and reduce the downtime for customers.
Calka indicated that DTE expects to restore power to more than 70% of customers by the end of Wednesday, with a hopeful goal of reaching 90% by Thursday. He assured that the remainder would be up and running by Friday. It’s a challenging situation, but residents are grateful for the advances in technology that have helped mitigate some of the outages.
Stay Safe and Report Hazards
As the cleanup continues, safety remains a crucial concern in the aftermath of the storm. DTE Energy urges everyone to stay at least 50 feet away from any downed power lines and to report them immediately, either via their app or by calling their customer service line. Keeping these lines reported and cleared is vital to restoring normalcy in Plymouth.
Community spirit shines bright as Plymouth rallies to overcome the aftermath of this storm. With neighbors helping each other and city workers extending extra hours to get things back on track, residents take comfort in knowing that the heart of their community remains strong.
