Residents Still Without Power Are Encouraged to Find Someplace Warm Until Electricity is Restored

About 1400 customers are still without power Thursday after a high-voltage power line came down, causing all of the city's power outages -- beginning as early as 5 a.m.

Paul Haley, emergency manager for the city of Trenton, has encouraged residents without power to get someplace warm until power is restored.

The Westfield Center, 2700 Westfield Road, has been designated a warming center for those without power. According to Haley the center will be available to residents until at least 11 p.m.

"If it's getting to be too cold see if they (residents) can go to a relative or friend's and if not, as a last resort, go to the Westfield Activities Center," Haley said. "Bring cards or something to do -- and medicine."

Haley added there are currently no facilities at the center for pets. 

According to the National Weather Service temperatures are expected to get down to about 3 degrees tonight.

Len Singer of the DTE Energy Media Relations Department said workers have been working all day to get the problem fixed. He added power should be restored by about 7:30 p.m.

Singer said workers are currently making the repair in the last circuit.

"We expect to have everyone back up soon," Singer said. "The next two hours is the target, assuming we don't find any additional problems. We recognize as bitter cold as it is and we are working as fast as we can to get the power back on."

DTE  encourages people with health issues or senior citizens who may be affected by the cold to get in touch with neighbors and stay with them until they get the power restored.

Singer said there is a connection between the downed power line and the transformer fire along with the failed electrical equipment reported  earlier in the day.

"Throughout the day we were finding additional related problems that weren't apparent at the beginning," Singer said.