American Security Today May 2017 Digital Magazine American Security Today May 2017 Digital Magazine | Page 25

Volume 12
How Eaton County Took on Historic
Windstorm & Massive Power Outages
By Michael Armitage, ENP, MPA, Director Eaton County Central Dis-
patch
According to DTE Energy, nearly 800,000 customers impact-
ed in all in the largest weather event in the utility’s history. It
caused extensive tree damage and more than 4,000 downed
power lines. (Image Credit: Mac Snyder, MLive .com)
Massive power outages affecting more than one
million people crippled areas across Michigan as
a March windstorm tore through the state, leav-
ing some without power for more than a week.
May 2017 Edition
The storm brought a day full of extreme gusts
reaching speeds between 60 and 70MPH caus-
ing downed power lines, fallen trees, brushfires;
and left more people statewide without power
than ever before in the history of Michigan’s
leading energy provider, DTE Energy
(Learn More, courtesy of ABC News, NEWS BEAT and You-
Tube)
At the peak of the storm, Eaton County Central
Dispatch received 160 calls per hour compared
to the average of an estimated 30 calls per hour.
There are approximately 109,000 people that live
in Eaton County, and we have seven dispatch
positions with sixteen total dispatchers and six
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