Storms are inevitable. At DTE Energy, our teams are always working to strengthen our electrical grid to withstand the effects of extreme weather. We also have Storm Response Teams in place to plan for unavoidable power outages caused by those conditions. These teams monitor the weather, implement a response plan and deploy crews as soon as weather conditions permit. After crews assess storm damage, we provide restoration estimates for our customers. These times are estimates based on an initial assessment and are subject to change when crews begin the restoration process. Here are some common questions and answers about restoration estimate changes.
It’s past my restoration estimate. Why isn’t my power back on?
- Trouble behind trouble: This is the term that we use when there is more than one reason for an outage. For instance, we may have identified a wire down event, but after repairing the line, it doesn’t energize. That’s trouble behind trouble. We then work to identify the secondary cause of the outage. Your restoration time may change because we have additional work that wasn’t originally identified.
- Continued inclement weather: Certain weather conditions like rain, lightning and strong winds can make it unsafe for our crews to work on the electrical equipment. As soon as weather conditions permit us to safely begin restoration work, crews assess the extent of the damage and begin restoration.
Why is my neighbor’s power on and mine still out?
It’s possible that two homes in the same neighborhood are served by different electrical wires and equipment. We may have completed work on your neighbor’s circuit but are still working to make repairs on yours.
In other cases, your power may still be off after we repair your circuit. This can happen when there is one factor that originated the outage and another that’s preventing us from re-energizing the line. Our crews will return to your property to determine what is causing your power to still be out and repair it.
To find more answers to your storm questions, visit empoweringmichigan.com. Get real-time updates and information about outages at our outage center or by following us on Nextdoor, Facebook and Twitter.