DTE Offers Storm Safety Tips

With severe storms in the forecast through Monday night, DTE Energy is offering some safety tips:

Power outages may occur. During any storm, you may wish to unplug major appliances and sensitive electronic equipment.

If you lose power:

Report it to help  DTE determine the extent of the outage and damage to the electrical system. 

• Report online
• Report from a mobile device at mobile.dteenergy.com
• Or call DTE's automated phone system at 800-477-4747

Estimates for restoring power:

 You may get information on when your power will be restored:

• Online
• Via text messaging
• Via mobile device at mobile.dteenergy.com
• Through DTE's automated phone system at 800.477.4747.

Estimates for restoring power take several hours to prepare and may not be immediately available. Estimates may change once crews arrive on the scene and fully assess equipment damage and tree-removal needs or as additional severe weather impacts restoration work.  

Safety tips:

• Stay at least 20 feet away from downed power lines and anything in which they are in contact, including puddles and metal fences. Keep children and pets away, too.
• Never drive across a downed power line. If a power line falls on your vehicle, remain inside your car until help arrives.

• Never cross the yellow barrier tape that may be around downed power lines.
• Cable or telephone lines can be energized if they come in contact with electrical lines. Contact with any energized line can be fatal.

 Safety at home following a storm

• Stay out of flooded or damp basements or other areas if water is in contact with outlets, a furnace or any electrically operated appliance that is energized. The water or moisture may conduct electricity. Contact may cause serious or fatal injury.
• If you use portable heaters or candles, keep them away from flammable materials. Properly vent portable heaters. Keep children and pets away.
• If you leave your home during the outage, double-check to make sure all heat-producing appliances, such as stoves, clothes dryers, irons and curling irons, are unplugged. This will minimize the danger of fire if power is restored while you are away.
• Know how to reset your circuit breaker. Turn off lamps and appliances in use when the power went out. Make sure your hands are dry and that you stand on a dry surface. Find the breaker switch(es) pointed toward the "OFF" position. Turn the switch(es) all the way to "OFF" and then to the "ON" position.
• If you have fuses instead of circuit breakers, you may want to call in an electrician for assistance. There are many variations in the types and designs of fuse boxes. For safety's sake, make sure you have instructions for your specific type of fuse. Get extra, correct replacement fuses and store them near the fuse panel along with a flashlight.
• Protect sensitive electronic equipment, such as computers, televisions and stereos, with surge suppressors. If you are home when a storm approaches, you may want to unplug sensitive electronic equipment.
• If you have tree debris in your yard following a storm wait until power line repairs are complete before you begin cleanup. Energized power lines may be hidden in the brush.
• Use portable generators safely.