Nearly 200,000 without power in Michigan

12/29/2008
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sterling Davis, 44, of Seyburn Street in Detroit takes matters into his own hands after a large tree fell in front of his house blocking the street Sunday. Tens of thousands of customers were without power Sunday in Michigan after high winds hit the state, knocking down tree limbs and power lines. A high wind advisory was in effect, and gusts about 50 mph were reported.
Sterling Davis, 44, of Seyburn Street in Detroit takes matters into his own hands after a large tree fell in front of his house blocking the street Sunday. Tens of thousands of customers were without power Sunday in Michigan after high winds hit the state, knocking down tree limbs and power lines. A high wind advisory was in effect, and gusts about 50 mph were reported.

DETROIT Crews were working to restore electricity to nearly 200,000 Michigan homes and businesses early Monday, a day after strong winds knocked down tree limbs and power lines, while residents in parts of the Northwest braced for another winter storm.

Meanwhile, flood warnings were posted throughout the Midwest as temperatures rose after a week of heavy snowfall. Forecasters said flooding was possible in areas of Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and northwest Ohio.

Winter storm warnings were issued throughout the Northwest, which has been hammered by storms in recent weeks. The National Weather Service said northeastern Washington and the Idaho panhandle could expect 3 to 7 inches of new snow in the valleys, and 6 to 10 inches in the mountains through Monday evening.

In Michigan, winds gusting more than 60 mph knocked out power Sunday as temperatures dropped back into the 20s and 30s. Parts of the state also got about 4 inches of snow.

We ve had an intensifying storm system track northeast through the state, said Mark Sekelsky, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. As that storm intensified, it brought the winds.

Detroit-based DTE Energy Co. said about 135,000 customers were without power early Monday, mostly in Wayne and Oakland counties, down from about 230,000 Sunday. DTE said some could be blacked out into Wednesday

CMS Energy Corp. subsidiary Consumers Energy said about 183,000 of its customers lost power Sunday because of the winds and 62,000 remained blacked out early Monday. Consumers said all of its customers should have power by Wednesday.

Strong winds also gusted across upstate New York on Sunday, reaching 75 mph and toppling some power poles and trees from Buffalo to central New York. More than 9,000 customers in five western and northern counties were without power early Monday, down from more than 60,000 the night before.

Melting snow and ice caused problems in the Midwest. In southeastern Wisconsin, the National Weather Service predicted the Fox River would crest about a foot over flood stage Tuesday in the town of Wheatland.

Amtrak canceled one train Sunday night and one Monday morning between Chicago and Grand Rapids, Mich., because of the weather, Amtrak spokeswoman Tracy Connell said.