A series of severe storms tore through Southeast Michigan starting Wednesday night, September 2, and continuing through Thursday, September 3, 2026, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of DTE Energy customers and prompting one of the utility's largest restoration efforts of the year. Here's how to track the outage map, how bad it actually got, and what DTE says about restoration timelines.
How to Check the DTE Outage Map
DTE Energy maintains a live, publicly accessible outage map that shows the number of affected customers by county and circuit in near real time. You can view the official map directly through PowerOutage.us's Michigan tracker, which aggregates data across all 23 utilities operating in the state, not just DTE, so you can compare DTE's restoration pace against neighboring providers like Consumers Energy.
To report an outage directly to DTE or check the status of your specific address, use DTE's own outage reporting tool, linked from most local Michigan news coverage of the storm, including ClickOnDetroit's live outage tracking coverage.
How Bad Did It Get?
The outage numbers climbed quickly and repeatedly throughout the day on September 3. According to The Detroit News, roughly 111,800 DTE customers were without power by early Thursday afternoon following the first wave of storms overnight. A second, more severe round of storms with winds up to 60 mph hit later that afternoon, and outage numbers surged dramatically. By 6:15 p.m., FOX 2 Detroit reported approximately 303,000 DTE customers without power, with no restoration timeline given at that point due to the scale of the damage.
By late Thursday night, the number climbed even further. ClickOnDetroit's live tracker showed over 260,000 customers still without power as of 11:30 p.m.
Which Areas Were Hit Hardest?
The National Weather Service reported downed trees and power lines across a wide swath of Southeast Michigan, including Auburn Hills, Holly, Rochester, Lake Orion, Clarkston, Plymouth, and Livonia. Multiple tornado warnings and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued throughout the afternoon of September 3. According to The Detroit News, the hardest-hit counties by total outage volume were Oakland, Wayne, Livingston, and Macomb.
The impact extended beyond homes. Howell Public Schools announced a full closure for September 3 due to widespread power outages affecting several school buildings and its transportation department, while Madison Heights deployed public services crews at 4 a.m. to begin clearing downed trees blocking roads and sidewalks.
What DTE Says About Restoration
In a media briefing, DTE Energy said more than 2,600 Storm Response Team members were actively working to restore power, a number that later grew to over 3,400 as hundreds of additional field workers arrived from outside Michigan to help speed up the effort, according to FOX 2 Detroit's coverage. The company initially estimated that 80% of customers affected by the first wave of storms would be restored by the end of day Thursday, though that timeline was complicated by the second, more damaging storm system that hit later that afternoon.
DTE has repeatedly urged residents to treat all downed power lines as live and dangerous, staying at least 20 feet away and keeping children and pets indoors until crews confirm lines are de-energized.
How to Stay Updated
- Check DTE's live outage map for real-time restoration status by county and circuit.
- Report a new outage or downed line directly through DTE's outage reporting tool.
- Follow local Michigan weather trackers for updated storm alerts, since additional severe weather can cause new outages even as crews restore existing ones.
- Sign up for DTE text or app alerts if you want automatic restoration updates for your specific address.
For more on how infrastructure providers are handling rising consumer demand and service disruptions, see our related coverage on Verizon vs top internet providers and the best phone deals to grab before prices rise, both useful if a prolonged outage affects your connectivity at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many DTE customers lost power in the September 2026 storms?
Outage numbers climbed throughout the day, from roughly 111,800 Thursday afternoon to over 303,000 by early evening after a second storm system hit, with more than 260,000 still without power late that night, according to local Detroit news coverage.
2. How can I check the DTE outage map for my area?
You can view live, county-level outage data through PowerOutage.us's Michigan tracker, or use DTE Energy's own outage map and reporting tool directly on their website.
3. What caused the outages?
A line of severe storms moved through Southeast Michigan overnight into Wednesday, followed by a second, more severe storm system Thursday afternoon with winds up to 60 mph, causing widespread downed trees and power lines.
4. How long did DTE say restoration would take?
DTE initially estimated 80% of customers from the first storm wave would be restored by the end of day Thursday, but that timeline was affected by the second storm. DTE mobilized over 3,400 Storm Response Team members, including crews from outside Michigan, to speed up restoration.
5. What should I do if I see a downed power line?
DTE advises treating every downed line as energized and dangerous. Stay at least 20 feet away, keep children and pets away from the area, and report it directly to DTE rather than attempting to move it yourself.