Boil water advisory issued in Oakland County, 370K without power after heavy rain
Metro Detroit was hit with an onslaught of rain, hail and strong winds Monday night. More than 370,000 residents are without power across the state.
The Detroit area was under a severe thunderstorm warning until 7 p.m. and remains under a severe thunderstorm watch until 10 p.m. A line of thunderstorms is quickly moving east, the National Weather Service in White Lake said in a tweet, and these storms could produce winds up to 70 mph.
Here is the latest radar update #miwx pic.twitter.com/kzw1JwBum9
— NWS Detroit (@NWSDetroit) August 29, 2022
A boil water notice is in effect in Commerce Township, Walled Lake and Novi. The Great Lakes Water Authority station temporarily lost power and the system lost pressure, which can lead to potential bacterial contamination, according to the Oakland County notice.
The City of Novi said all residents should boil their water before drinking it, or use bottled water. The same rule applies to brushing teeth, making ice, washing dishes and food preparation.
Once water samples meet the state drinking water standards, the boil water advisory will be lifted, the city said.
As of 7:30 p.m., Consumers Energy reported 159,052 customers without power across the state, and DTE reported 213,221 without power.
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DTE said their storm response teams are ready to restore power as "quickly and safely as possible."
But, some of our Plymouth neighbors weren’t as lucky. pic.twitter.com/M2R2Jpl1Ck
— Mark Cavitt (@MarkCavitt) August 29, 2022
The utility company recently came under fire for proposing an 8.8% rate hike for its users, WXYZ reported. That would look like around a $10 increase per month for residential customers. Last summer, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders were left without power repeatedly during the summer of storms.
Michigan State Police warned those hit by the storms to stay home if they can.
"If you have to drive in these storms make sure you slow down, wear your seat belt and leave plenty of space between you and the car in front of you!" MSP said in a tweet.
We have reports of several power outages, down power lines and downed trees across the district. Please use caution if you are traveling and remember treat darkened intersections as four way stops. pic.twitter.com/QbZR8V1oYw
— MSP Second District (@mspmetrodet) August 29, 2022
Contact Emma Stein: estein@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter @_emmastein.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Boil water advisory issued as metro Detroit hit by heavy rain, 70 mph winds
