Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Livingston County residents without power are asked to be not only patient during restoration efforts but aware of surroundings due to all of the downed wires and trees.

Livingston County Emergency Manager Therese Cremonte tells WHMI there were no reports of any injuries following Monday’s devastating storms. She says they ask that people be patient and crews are working around the clock not only in Livingston County but other areas impacted.

Cremonte says the southeast portion of Livingston County really got hit – with some of the most impacted areas being Genoa, Hamburg, Putnam and Green Oak Townships.

DTE Energy estimates that 80% of customers impacted by the storm will be restored by the end of the day Thursday. Cremonte said that’s a pretty intense goal considering more than 200,000 people were out of power over a several county area.

Cremonte said a lot of it has to do with trees that came down on top of wires and crews have to be able to safely cut the trees out of the wires before they can reconnect service – she says there is a lot to it and “it’s not just flipping a switch and the lights are back on”. She says crews are literally trying to untangle wires, which can be very dangerous for them, and they want to do it as quickly but as safely as possible.

When people see a tree down or a big piece of shrubbery or foliage, the first instinct for many is to go out and take a look at it. However, Cremonte says power lines are sometimes difficult to see - especially if they’ve snapped and become entangled in the branches and leaves.

Cremonte says the reason trees came down so hard wasn’t just the straight-line winds that hit them at about 70mph but because the trees are in full foliage right now and it caught everything “like a sail in a sailboat”. She says the impact on the tree with the wind, if there were any weak spots, took the tree down. Cremonte says the problem is if a tree entangled in a wire that people can’t see, which presents a great danger with currents.

It’s recommended that people stay at least 20-feet away until someone can really survey the situation and make sure nothing is tangled. Cremonte added it’s also important to keep an eye on children and pets, which are very curious and like to look and explore things. She says the problem is there could be something dangerous like a hidden, live wire that could result in a very tragic situation.

Finally, Cremonte says this is the time to look out for neighbors and the elderly, or someone on oxygen who might need some help or assistance. If there are any emergencies, she advises to call 911 as responders will still come out.