The city's social media team, which had been repeatedly promoting a seasonal job fair by Detroit's General Services Department, turned to a more urgent topic at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
It posts 10 paragraphs of guidance for residents and businesses affected by intense winds blowing since this morning. "Residents are asked to only call 911 in the event of emergency situations . . . requiring EMS, police or fire services," it begins.
► Related post: How Windy Is It? Here Are Metro Detroit Tales of the Gales That Knock Out Power
T-i-m-b-e-r-! This one falls under city jurisdiction. (Twitter photo by Brian Ambrozy)
Off-duty operators are deployed and "overflow calls" were diverted to the Telephone Crime Reporting Unit due to "an abnormally high volume of calls," the statement says. It adds:
Those experiencing power outages should report them to DTE Energy at (800) 477-4747. . . .
If a fallen tree or limb has impacted a power line, stay away and call DTE Energy immediately. . . .
To report a downed tree on city property, which is on the berm or in the street, please call (313) 871-5461 during business hours. The number after business hours is (313) 590-3336. . . .
Residents can also report downed trees through the Improve Detroit app.
Tree removal contractors are joining city forestry crews "to adress the damage as quickly as possible," the mayor's office says.
If a fallen tree . . . [had been rooted] between the sidewalk and the house or in a backyard, it is on private property and is the responsibility of homeowners, who should contact their insurance company or a private contractor.
If thee tree fell from private property but is blocking the street, residents should still call the city at (313) 590-3336. . . .
If a homeowner has taken it upon themselves to cut up a fallen tree or limbs on their property, they should cut the debris into sections o lobger than 48 inches and leave them at the curb for their next scheduled yard waste collection date.
-- Alan Stamm
