Wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour whipped through the Oxford-Addison area last Wednesday night and Thursday morning causing numerous downed wires and trees and depriving 1,100 DTE Energy customers of their electricity.
On Thursday, National Weather Service offices in Pontiac and White Lake Township recorded respective “peak wind gusts” of 57 mph at 2:17 a.m. and 55 mph at 3:30 a.m.
The highest peak gusts in the state were reported in Flint (83 mph at 12:48 a.m. Thursday) and Ypsilanti (74 mph at 6:36 p.m. Wednesday).
The severe winds left 900 customers in Addison without power and 200 Oxford customers in the dark, according to DTE Energy spokesman Scott Simons.
Faced with “hundreds” of downed wires throughout its southeastern Michigan service area, Simons said Thursday repair crews were expected to “work well into the weekend” restoring everyone’s power.
On Monday, Simons said power to all Oxford and Addison customers was restored by Sunday.
The high winds kept the Oxford Fire Department hopping with several wire-related calls, according to Chief Jack LeRoy.
A flaming power pole brought firefighters to 36 Dennison St. shortly after 4 a.m. Thursday.
LeRoy said the high winds forced a tree branch to “rub against” the service line powering the house and garage causing it to short out and start the pole on fire.
Oxford firefighters responded to downed power lines on E. Drahner and Barr roads, Oakwood Road near Coats Road, Depot (north of East St.), Glaspie (south of Broadway) and Cobblestone Lane.
Reports of arcing wires brought firefighters to M-24, south of Moon Road, and Red Barn Drive, south of Kintyre Drive.
LeRoy said the high winds also downed some telephone wires across the intersection of Lakeville Road and Wildcat Drive, the road leading to Oxford High School.
As a result, the two entrance lanes of Wildcat Drive were closed to through-traffic.
The Addison Township Fire Department experienced “very little activity,” according to Chief George Spencer, which “pleasantly surprised” him.
Spencer, an Oxford resident who went without power for two days, said the only reports of downed wires were on Lakeville Road near Hosner Road and E. Leonard Road near Haggerman Road.
The damage could have been a lot worse for both Addison and Oxford had not many of the weaker trees and limbs been removed by the ice storms in early April, Spencer noted.
In addition to downed wires, some big trees tumbled to the ground in Oxford.
An approximately 60-foot pine tree was uprooted early Thursday morning in the front yard of 668 Oneta Drive, the home of Gary and Karen Rosser.
Fortunately, the large evergreen did not damage the home or any parked vehicles.
However, a Saturn car behind 145 S. Washington St. was not so lucky when a large tree fell on it, smashing out the rear window and denting part of the roof.
The tree also downed the power service line to the house, according to LeRoy.