Detroit Evening Report: Intense storms hit Metro Detroit, several counties under severe storm watch

Severe Weather is slated for this evening throughout Southeast Michigan.

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The National Weather Service reports hazardous conditions until at least 9 p.m. this evening. Multiple counties including Wayne, Oakland and Macomb have been under a severe storm watch, seeing damaging wind gusts 65 mph or above.

The possibility of large hail and isolated tornadoes are secondary threats. as well as intense rainfall and localized flooding. Residents should be prepared for standing water on the roads.

Roughly 133,000 utility customers in Michigan are currently without power as of this writing — 100,616 DTE Energy outages and 32,851 from Consumers Energy.

The city of Detroit says avoid using a dishwasher and or laundry services during the storm to reduce flow in the sewers. If your basement floods, don’t walk in the water if its above electrical outlets or the fuse box.

For homes with backwater valves, avoid using plumbing or water at all to prevent flooding. Residents can find resources and more information in the city’s downloadable “Basement Backup & Flooding Handbook” at detroitmi.gov/basementprotection.

Report flooded streets and basement backups using the Improve Detroit mobile app or call 313-267-8000.

Other headlines for July 26, 2023:

• City of Detroit launching pilot program using self-driving cars to help remove mobility barriers
• DDOT extending customer service call center hours
• Detroit hosting Black Tech Weekend
• Brilliant Detroit’s Littlefield neighborhood hub to unveil library installation

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.