Storms Kill Power to More Than 400,000 Customers in Michigan

MICHIGAN—Thousands of Metro Detroit residents were left without electricity service on Tuesday morning as crews worked to repair the damage from a line of thunderstorms that ripped across much of Michigan on Monday evening—at one point leaving more than 400,000 Michiganders in the dark.

The thunderstorms packed winds as high as 60 mph. All told, DTE Energy reported more than 231,000 customers without power. Consumers Energy reported more than 157,000 Michigan customers without service just after 7:30 p.m. Indiana Michigan Power Co. also had more than 13,000 outages across the two states, and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. said about 24,000 of its customers were affected.

The National Weather Service said tree branches and power lines fell while winds gusted as high as 58 mph at Battle Creek Executive Airport in Michigan and 60 mph in Huntington, southwest of Fort Wayne.

In Monroe, a 14-year-old girl was electrocuted in the backyard of her home after coming into contact with an electrical line that was knocked down by the storm, authorities said. The girl was with a friend and she reportedly reached for what she believed was a stick, but it turned out to be the power line.