Author: chfdadmin

Build a power outage kit

Keep these items accessible in your home at all times:

• Flashlights and extra batteries — one per household member
• Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio
• Portable phone charger (power bank) — kept charged
• First aid kit
• Cash — ATMs and card readers don’t work without power
• Manual can opener
• Blankets and warm clothing, especially in winter

Know your medical equipment needs

If you or a household member depends on electrically powered medical equipment — oxygen concentrators, CPAP machines, home dialysis, powered wheelchairs, or refrigerated medications such as insulin — contact your utility provider now to register as a medical baseline customer. Have a backup plan, including a battery backup unit and the phone number of your medical equipment supplier, in place before storm season.

Consider a generator — and know how to use it safely

A portable generator can power essential appliances during an extended outage. If you own or plan to purchase one, read the safety section below carefully before the next storm. Generator misuse is one of the leading causes of carbon monoxide poisoning deaths following severe weather events.

Protect your electronics

Power surges when electricity is restored can damage computers, televisions, and appliances. Use surge protectors on sensitive electronics and consider unplugging major appliances before a storm arrives. A whole-home surge protector installed at your electrical panel offers the best protection.

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed

A refrigerator will keep food safe for approximately 4 hours if the door stays closed. A full freezer will hold temperature for about 48 hours — a half-full freezer for about 24 hours. Resist the urge to check on food frequently. When in doubt about whether food is still safe, throw it out.

Use flashlights — not candles

Candles are a leading cause of house fires during power outages. Use battery-powered flashlights and lanterns instead. If you must use candles, never leave them unattended, keep them away from anything flammable, and extinguish them before sleeping.

Stay informed

Without power, your normal sources of weather information may not be available. A battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio is your most reliable source of emergency alerts and weather updates. Keep your cell phone charged using a power bank, and conserve battery by reducing screen brightness and closing unused apps.

Check on neighbors

Elderly residents, people with disabilities, and those living alone are especially vulnerable during extended outages — particularly in extreme heat or cold. Check on neighbors who may need assistance and contact local emergency services if someone needs help you cannot provide.

Report your outage to DTE Energy

Chesterfield Township is served by DTE Energy. Report outages and check restoration status at dteenergy.com or by calling 800-477-4747. Reporting your outage helps DTE prioritize restoration in your area.

⚠ Never use these indoors or in a garage

Carbon monoxide (CO) is colorless, odorless, and deadly. Every year, people die after storm-caused power outages because they run fuel-burning equipment in enclosed spaces. The following must never be used indoors, in a garage, or near any open window or door:

• Portable generators
• Gas or charcoal grills
• Camp stoves
• Propane heaters not rated for indoor use
• Kerosene heaters (without proper ventilation)

Generators must be placed at least 20 feet from any window, door, or vent — including your neighbors’ homes. If your CO alarm sounds, get everyone out of the building immediately and call 911. Do not re-enter until emergency responders clear the building.

Check your food

Discard any refrigerated food that has been above 40°F for more than two hours. Never taste food to determine if it is safe. When in doubt, throw it out — food poisoning is far more dangerous than the cost of replacement groceries.

Reset carefully

Turn appliances and electronics back on gradually rather than all at once to avoid overloading circuits when power returns. Check that your smoke detectors and CO alarms are functioning — power fluctuations can sometimes affect battery backup systems.

Stay away from downed power lines

Treat every downed power line as live and deadly, even after power appears to have been restored to your area. Stay at least 50 feet away, keep others back, and call 911 immediately. Do not attempt to move lines or drive over them.

• DTE Energy — Report an Outage  ·  800-477-4747
• Ready.gov — Power Outages
• MI Ready — Know Your Plan
• NWS Detroit — Severe Weather Awareness Week

The 30-30 Rule

• If you see lightning, count the seconds until you hear thunder. If that gap is 30 seconds or less, lightning is close enough to strike you. Seek shelter immediately.
• Wait at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before going back outside. Lightning can strike miles from the storm’s center, even after the rain has stopped.

Best: A substantial building

A fully enclosed building with plumbing and wiring — a home, school, office, or store — offers the best protection. Once inside, stay away from windows, doors, and anything connected to plumbing or electrical systems. Avoid using corded phones, and don’t handle electronics plugged into the wall during active lightning.

Second best: A hard-topped metal vehicle

If no building is reachable, a hard-topped vehicle with the windows rolled up provides reasonable protection. The metal frame — not the rubber tires — directs the lightning strike around the occupants. Avoid contact with metal surfaces inside the vehicle during a strike. Convertibles, motorcycles, and golf carts do not provide protection.

Never safe: Open structures and trees

Picnic shelters, dugouts, bleachers, golf carts, and open-sided structures offer no lightning protection. Trees are among the most dangerous places to shelter — they are frequently struck, and lightning can travel through the ground from a tree strike and injure anyone standing nearby. Get away from isolated trees, tall objects, and open fields.

Damaging winds

Severe thunderstorms can produce straight-line winds of 60–100 mph — strong enough to down trees, damage roofs, and flip vehicles. These winds can arrive with little warning and cause damage similar to a weak tornado. Stay indoors and away from windows when a severe thunderstorm warning is issued.

Large hail

Hail can range from pea-sized to baseball-sized in severe storms. Large hail can shatter windows, damage vehicles, and injure anyone caught outdoors. Get inside a building — a vehicle offers some protection but can sustain significant damage. Do not go outside to check on your car while hail is falling.

Flash flooding

Heavy rainfall from thunderstorms can cause rapid flooding of roads, underpasses, and low-lying areas. Never attempt to drive through standing or moving water — just six inches of moving water can knock a person off their feet, and two feet can carry away most vehicles. Turn around, don’t drown.

Downed power lines

Treat every downed power line as live and deadly. Stay at least 50 feet away and keep others back. Do not attempt to move downed lines or drive over them. Call 911 immediately.

Lightning strike victims

It is safe to touch a lightning strike victim — the body does not retain an electrical charge. Call 911 immediately. If the person is unresponsive and not breathing, begin CPR if you are trained to do so. Lightning strike survivors often require immediate medical attention even if they appear uninjured.

• NWS — Thunderstorm Safety
• NWS — Lightning Safety
• NWS Detroit — Severe Weather Awareness Week
• MI Ready — Know Your Plan

Today is Drill Day — Statewide Tornado Drill at 1:00 p.m.
Michigan’s voluntary statewide tornado drill takes place today. Use it. Walk to your shelter location with your household right now and make sure everyone knows the plan.

Go to your shelter location now

Move to the lowest floor of a sturdy building, in an interior room away from all windows — a basement is best. If no basement, use an interior bathroom, closet, or hallway on the lowest floor. Get as many walls between you and the outside as possible.

Do not wait to see or hear the tornado

The average lead time for a tornado warning is 10–15 minutes — but tornadoes can strike with little or no visible warning. When a warning is issued for your area, treat it as real and move immediately. Every second you spend watching out a window is a second you’re not protected.

Protect your head and neck

Once in your shelter location, cover your head and neck with your arms. Use a mattress, heavy coat, blanket, or sturdy piece of furniture as additional protection from debris if available. Flying debris is the leading cause of tornado injuries and fatalities.

Stay off elevators

Power outages during a storm can trap you in an elevator. Always use stairs when heading to a lower floor during severe weather.

Mobile home residents — get out

Mobile homes are not safe in any tornado, even when tied down. If a tornado warning is issued and you are in a mobile home, leave immediately and go to the nearest sturdy building. Know in advance where you will go — do not wait until a warning is issued to figure it out.

⚠ Wednesday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m.

• TV and radio stations will broadcast drill messaging statewide at 1:00 p.m. Tune in if you can.
• NOAA Weather Radio will conduct its regular weekly test in coordination with the drill, with a script encouraging residents to practice their plans.
• Your phone will NOT receive a WEA alert — the drill does not trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts to cell phones.
• Community sirens may or may not activate — that is a decision made by local Emergency Management. If you hear sirens today at 1:00 p.m., treat it as the drill and proceed to your shelter location.
• Participation is entirely voluntary — but the Chesterfield Township Fire Department strongly encourages every household and workplace to take 60 seconds at 1:00 p.m. to walk through their plan.

What to actually do at 1:00 p.m.: Stop what you’re doing. Walk — don’t run — to your designated shelter location. Make sure everyone in your household or workplace knows where it is. Time how long it takes. That awareness could save your life when a real warning comes with 10 minutes or less of lead time.

• NWS — Tornado Safety
• NWS Detroit — Severe Weather Awareness Week
• MI Ready — Know Your Plan
• 2026 Severe Weather Preparedness Toolkit (PDF)

Statewide Tornado Drill — Tomorrow, Wednesday March 18 at 1:00 p.m.
Use today to make sure your alert systems are set up and ready. Tomorrow, put your plan to the test.

1. Outdoor Warning Sirens

Chesterfield Township’s outdoor warning sirens are designed for one purpose: to alert people who are outside that they need to get indoors immediately. If you hear a siren, do not go outside to look for the storm — go to your shelter location right away.

Sirens are not reliably heard inside your home through walls, insulation, and ambient noise. Do not rely on sirens alone as your only alert method, especially overnight.

2. Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) — Your Phone

When the National Weather Service issues a Tornado Warning for Macomb County, your cell phone will automatically receive a Wireless Emergency Alert — that loud, distinctive alarm tone with a text message. No app download or registration is required.

Check your settings now. WEA alerts can be accidentally disabled. Verify yours are on:

Make this check a habit at the start of every severe weather season.

3. NOAA Weather Radio — Your Most Reliable Backup

When power fails and cell towers go down, a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio keeps working. It broadcasts continuous weather information 24 hours a day and will activate an alarm tone when a warning is issued for your area — even in the middle of the night.

Look for a weather radio with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology, which lets you program it to alert only for Macomb County rather than every county in the broadcast range. Reliable units are available at most home improvement and electronics retailers for $25–$50.

More information: weather.gov/nwr

🚨 Wednesday, March 18 at 1:00 p.m. — Here’s what to expect

• TV and radio stations will broadcast drill messaging statewide. Tune in and listen.
• NOAA Weather Radio will conduct its regular weekly test in coordination with the drill, including a script encouraging families to practice their plans.
• Your phone will NOT receive a WEA alert — the drill does not trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts.
• Community sirens may or may not activate — that decision is made by Chesterfield Township’s local Emergency Management office.
• Participation is voluntary for individuals, households, schools, and businesses.

Use the drill to actually walk to your shelter location with your family. Time it. Make sure everyone knows where to go. That 60-second practice could save a life when a real warning comes.

Quick preparedness checklist

• NWS Detroit — Severe Weather Awareness Week
• MI Ready — Know Your Plan
• 2026 Severe Weather Preparedness Toolkit (PDF)
• NOAA Weather Radio Information