Latest: Most Michigan power should be restored by weekend

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Latest on the powerful winds that whipped through Michigan and other Great Lakes states (all times local):

5:35 p.m.

Michigan's largest utilities say most electrical service should be restored by this weekend after damaging winds knocked out power to more than a million customers statewide.

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy officials appeared with Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder at a news conference Thursday detailing damage and restoration efforts following Wednesday's windstorm.

DTE initially had roughly 800,000 customers without power but expects to have 90 percent of the outages restored by Sunday night. Consumers Energy officials say they also expect customers to have power back by Sunday.

The utilities say crews with about 5,700 workers are making repairs to restore electrical services, including workers who came in from other states.

Forecasters say wind gusts topped 60 mph. Snyder calls the weather "unprecedented," and DTE officials say it was the largest windstorm in its 100-year history.

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11:35 a.m.

Authorities say two people were killed when a tree crashed onto their vehicle as powerful winds ripped through central Michigan.

Michigan State Police Sgt. Lance Cook says the tree fell Wednesday afternoon on a Mini Cooper heading east on the two-lane M-115 highway in Freeman Township.

Police say the accident killed the driver, 20-year-old Maxwell Muessig of Midland, Michigan, and passenger 23-year-old Margaretta Potter of Jamestown, Rhode Island.

Winds in the area were gusting more than 50 mph. The strong winds knocked out electrical service to more than a million customers statewide. Many schools were closed Thursday and there were reports of damage to numerous properties.

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5:50 a.m.

Crews are working to restore power after wind gusts topping 60 mph in some areas knocked out electrical service to more than 1 million customers in Michigan and whipped through several Great Lakes states.

Wednesday's winds fanned a blaze that killed five people in a Detroit apartment building and pushed a plane carrying members of the University of Michigan basketball team off a runway during takeoff southwest of Detroit.

DTE Energy says 700,000 of its customers lost power in southeastern Michigan and more than 670,000 were without service early Thursday. In a statement, the utility described it as "the largest weather event in DTE history."

Consumers Energy says 187,000 of its customers were without power after more than 300,000 were affected. Restoration efforts are expected to continue into the weekend.