Morning Storms Cause Flooding, Power Outages In Metro Detroit
FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - Thousands of homes and business in metro Detroit are without power due to early morning storms that also caused flooding on area roads.
DTE Energy said the majority of outages is located along Grand River Avenue between Orchard Lake Road and Inkster Road in the Farmington Hills-area. Customers were knocked offline just before 5 a.m. Wednesday, and it could be after 9 a.m. before power is restored.
Other outages are scattered across metro Detroit. Click here to check the DTE Energy outage map.
The thunderstorms also caused flooding on both directions of the Southfield Freeway near the I-96 interchange. Standing water has also been blamed for spinout accidents on multiple freeways, including I-275, I-96 and I-696.
The wet weather might also be to blame for an accident on Detroit's west side that sent a car slamming into a garage. The accident happened on the southbound Southfield Freeway service drive just before Schoolcraft, when an SUV apparently hydroplaned and took out the back fence of a home, part of a garage wall and a utility pole with a transformer -- which landed on the roof of Rick Dunham's home.
"This is the second time it's happened and they knocked down the pole," Dunham told WWJ's Ron Dewey. "It's the second time they knocked down the pole and it seems like it's in the same damn area."
Dunham said he's going to lobby officials to install a guard rail along the area behind his home, which backs up to the service drive. The driver reportedly suffered a leg injury and escaped through a broken car window. The exit from Southfield to Schoolcraft is now blocked off while DTE Energy crews can take care of the transformer.
Forecasters say scattered storms will continue throughout the morning with clouds briefly giving way to some sun. There's a chance for a thunderstorm or two Wednesday afternoon into the evening, which could also bring strong and gusty winds.
For the latest from the roads, stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 during Traffic and Weather on the 8s, 24-hours a day. Check live, local radar and the extended forecast HERE.
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