Detroit (WXYZ) – As of 9:45 p.m. Monday, 48,977 DTE customers were without power, according to dte outage map,
DTE says more than 4,000 crews are currently in the area and most customers have been restored, but another 65,000 customers have lost power since Friday, including another 10,000 customers who lost power on Monday . The company owns over one million poles and 45,000 miles of power lines.
It’s been a cold, wet and dark weekend for residents of Fenmore Street on Detroit’s west side, waking up without power on Monday
“I’ve been disabled for 12 years. I can’t live in a house like that,” said Detroit resident Keith Rucker.
Rucker says their power went out Thursday night. Since then he and his neighbors have been braving the bitter cold.
“I can’t go to a hotel. I ain’t got no money for that,” Rucker said. “It’s not fair to the paying customer.”
Rucker’s neighbor, Rich Robson, says he paid $300 for hotel rooms for his mother as they waited for power to be restored.
“We did[a cold]the first night, we did the second night, but he’s type 2 (diabetic), so I put him up in a hotel,” Robson said.
7 Action News reporter Brett Kast asked, “Was the power out longer than you thought.”
“Yes,” replied Robeson. “They told us Saturday then Sunday, then it was today.”
Power returned to the street around 6 p.m. Monday, but thousands of people are still waiting for power to be restored. Meanwhile, DTE says customers who went 96 hours – four days – or more without power will get an automatic $35 credit.
“How much is a carton of eggs? What’s that going to do,” said Robson.
Rucker said, “I got over $35 worth of food that I had to throw away, so I don’t know about the $35.”
The company says the credit, usually $25, will be automatic for this storm only. The Michigan Public Service Commission says they are working to make the $35 automatic payment a requirement.
MPSC Chairman Dan Scripps said, “It’s still not a freezer full of food, it’s still not a hotel stay, I understand that, but it’s still an important step in the right direction.”
The commission says that there is a need to improve the grid in future. The energy company said DTE says it has invested $1 billion in improvements over the past year, however, as the blizzard was historic, the worst in 50 years.
“Over the past few years, we’ve had some of the worst weather we’ve seen in my 20-year career,” said Ryan Stowe, vice president of distribution operations at DTE. “We know this is a real challenge for us.” Anyone who has been out of power for so long will continue to work until everyone’s power is restored.”
