EDITOR'S NOTE:We are no longer updating this story. Get the latest power outage updates here.
The freezing rain and ice storm that blew through Michigan downed trees and limbs, cut power to about 700,000 homes and businesses, closed schools and offices, suspended the QLINE, delayed air travel, caused car crashes and killed a firefighter in Paw Paw, who was electrocuted.
DTE — the Detroit-based utility with nearly a half-million customers without power at one point Thursday ― said it has been working to restore electricity as "quickly and safely as possible," and estimated 95% of its customers will have power restored by Sunday.
Consumers Energy said most of its 200,000-plus customers also should have the lights back on by Sunday.
Michigan power outage map:How to check your status
Michiganders are used to winter ice, but ice storms ― a combination of freezing rain, sleet, ice and snow ― are relatively rare, and wreak havoc on communities because they weigh down tree branches, power lines, and roofs; they also coat roadways and railways.
Customers without power said they likely are going to have some restless nights if they have to wait two, three ― or even more ― days before the lights and heat comes back on. Some are going to warming shelters and planning to stay the night with relatives, friends, and in hotels.
By late afternoon, Rochelle Brown said she wasn't sure where she was going to spend the night.
"A wire fell into my yard, my driveway," the 48-year-old Detroiter said, describing how the ice took it down at about 8 p.m. Wednesday. "I thought it was going to set my house on fire. It sparkled and crackled all night. It's cold in my house. I sent my kids other places, but I stayed in the home with my dog."
The ice, National Weather Service meteorologists said, was between a quarter-inch and more than a half-inch thick, and utility executives added that when there is that much ice on the power lines, the effective stress of 20-mph winds is as if they were gusting at 60.
There was some thawing Thursday, with highs in the mid- and upper-30s, but forecasters said expect it to freeze again with lows overnight in the teens, freezing-cold weather Friday and wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph, which could mean more snapped power lines.
More:1 of Michigan's worst ice storms ever hit in 1976
DTE scrambled to repair lines and advised customers to "stay at least 25 feet from any downed power lines" and "assume they are live and dangerous." It also asked its customers to use its app or call 800-477-4747 to report outages and downed lines.
By 3 p.m., the utility said 488,000 customers were still without power.
Moreover, DTE's outage app was briefly out Wednesday night, adding to customer frustration.
And in one county, Hillsdale, more than 80% of power customers reportedly had no electricity.
Consumers Energy urged customers to check its outage center online to report an outage, check the status of repairs, and get tips on what to do and how to be safe. Customers also could call 800-477-5050 to reported a downed line.
The worst hit areas, the company said, were along Interstate 94, including Jackson, where the utility is based, and Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and Hillsdale.
PowerOutage.us, which aggregates power outage data nationwide, showed three smaller utilities — Indiana Michigan Power, Midwest Energy Cooperative and Lansing Board of Water and Light — reporting a combined total of about 10,000 more customers with no electricity.
Firefighter electrocuted
At least one volunteer firefighter with the Paw Paw Fire Department died Wednesday evening at about 6:30 p.m. as a result of a downed power line on 30th Street near Red Arrow Highway in Van Buren County, police and news reports confirmed.
The fire department said Ethan Quillen was a "husband, father, son, friend, Marine, anddedicated firefighter" who was "selfless, kind, loving, hard working, and so much more." The department set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to support his wife and daughter.
The death was not the firefighter's fault, the Van Buren County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
"On behalf of the Paw Paw Fire Department, it is with a heavy heart that they lost one of their own tonight on a tragic incident," the sheriff's office said, urging people to keep the fallen firefighter's family and friends "in your thoughts and prayers at this time."
Ethan Quillen's Family, organized by Paw Paw Fire Department
Consumers Energy said in its own statement that the company was "saddened to learn of this firefighter's passing" and that "extreme weather events like this are difficult for numerous reasons, but few are more important than the risk many first responders and line workers take with their lives in service of their community."
The company added it was investigating what happened.
Schools, offices close
Throughout southeast Michigan, schools — many for two days — closed.
Businesses, like Genisys Credit Union, also closed. Genisys announced Wednesday it was ending the day early to allow workers to travel home before road conditions became unsafe. And on Thursday, municipalities like Livonia, which lost power, closed city halls, senior centers, libraries and courts.
The QLINE tweeted it suspended services Wednesday as a result of icy conditions.
Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus reported weather delays to and from various cities, mostly in the Northeast.
And the Michigan State Police counted 55 crashes in metro Detroit during Wednesday's ice storm. None of them MSP said, were serious and all were are result of "some type of bad driving behavior." Authorities urged drivers to slow down, especially with Thursday's thaw and refreeze.
Shelters and support
Some communities, like Dearborn, are trying to help residents by distributing free dry ice from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Reckinger Road between the Centennial Library and Dearborn Police Department. It is the same location used for the bimonthly Gleaners food drive.
It also is opening warming centers throughout the city where residents can shelter in heated indoor spaces. The locations are at the Dearborn libraries — Henry Ford Centennial Library, at 16301 Michigan Ave.; Bryant Library, 22100 Michigan Ave., and Esper Library, 12929 Warren Ave. — and the Ford Community & Performing Arts Center.
The Community Financial Credit Union, based in Plymouth, said it is giving away $500 credit cards.
Some Michiganders, the financial institution said, may find "securing safe and warm lodging" and "extra resources to replace lost food" challenging. So it was offering $500 with "no questions asked," to help provide support and comfort to community members.
Frustration and fires
On Wednesday night, downed tree limbs and lines likely sparked fires.
In Pleasant Ridge, which has neighborhoods full of trees, residents posted photos of large tree branches on their roofs and the city's icy sidewalks, and what appeared to be a downed line. Throughout the night and into Thursday morning, a part of the city was in darkness with no electricity.
One neighbor said that he could not sleep with the noise from generators.
There were two house fires Wednesday near South Haven, according to the South Haven Area Emergency Services and news accounts. It's unclear whether the fires were connected to the storm. But the news reports noted that the icy roadways and cold made it more difficult to get to residences and battle the blazes.
'Cautious and patient'
Consumers Energy urged customers "to be cautious and patient" as it repaired downed wires. It said it has mobilized hundreds of crews
"We were prepared for this storm and will restore power as quickly and as safely as possible," Norm Kapala, a Consumers Energy officer in charge of repairs, said, adding that "we are urging our customers to be vigilant and stay safe."
DTE filed an application seeking a $388 million rate increase last year, to recover increased investments in its generation and distribution systems to improve safe and reliable electric service to its 2.3 million customers in southeast Michigan.
The company, which has been under fire with customers complaining about its energy reliability even as the Michigan Public Service Commission has approved rate increases, has said it is "committed to providing safe, dependable and affordable power 24-hours a day."
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.
