Afternoon storms add to power outages; potential tornado touchdown on Detroit’s east side

September 4, 2026

Southeast Michigan experienced severe weather on Thursday, September 3rd, with afternoon storms triggering multiple tornado warnings across Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, Macomb, Lenawee, and Monroe counties that lasted until early evening. The National Weather Service documented extensive damage including downed trees and power lines, property destruction, vehicle strandings, and flooding throughout the region. Power outages affected more than 300,000 DTE customers and over 27,000 Consumers Energy customers by early evening.

Who is affected

Residents of Wayne, Washtenaw, Oakland, Macomb, Lenawee, Monroe, Livingston, and St. Clair counties in Southeast Michigan
Over 300,000 DTE Energy customers
Over 27,000 Consumers Energy customers
Stranded motorists in flooded areas
Property owners experiencing damage from downed trees and power lines
Communities including Ann Arbor, Dixboro, Ypsilanti, and Detroit's east side

What action is being taken

More than 2,600 DTE storm response workers are working to restore power
Another 800 field workers from outside Michigan are on the way to assist with power restoration
The National Weather Service will survey storm damage on Detroit's east side to determine the cause

Why it matters

This severe weather event caused widespread infrastructure damage and power disruptions affecting hundreds of thousands of residents across Southeast Michigan, creating dangerous conditions with downed power lines and flooded roadways that posed immediate safety risks to the community. The scale of the outages and damage required significant emergency response efforts and external assistance to restore essential services.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: bridgedetroit.com