(WXYZ) — People across Metro Detroit are preparing for the major storm later this week.
DeLores Boudreaux says she was excited to head to a holiday party on Friday but as winter weather approaches she may change her plans.
"This is a new car to me so I don’t know if I can drive it well enough in the snow," said Boudreaux as she sat in the driver's seat. "I’ve slid in the snow before and it's very scary and I don’t know how well the streets will be plowed by 6 o clock so we’ll see. It’s not the end of the world if I don’t go."
Ieesha Windham says she's planning to take a cruise in the coming days. She says she's hopeful the weather won't stop her plans.
"Every year we do something," said Windham. "We’re definitely flying to Florida and we’re going to port from there. So, like I said, hopefully it won’t mess things up."
While some are packing a suitcase for the holiday, others are preparing to stay in. Several people took a trip the Ace Hardware store in Livonia Tuesday afternoon.
"I need a spark plug for my snow blower. I’ve had the thing six or seven years and I’ve never put a new spark plug in it so hopefully they have one that’ll do the trick," said customer Roger Stacey. "Nothing we haven’t experienced before."
Owner Mick Hunt said most customers preparing for the wintry blast came in for things like salt and shovels but they're also buying things like window washing fluid and chains for their tires.
"We’ll get very busy especially whenever we get these big snow storms. Everybody trying to get ready," said Hunt.
Energy companies are also preparing. DTE says they have emergency crews ready to deploy to keep power on.
"Our Emergency Response Team has been closely monitoring the threat of severe weather and DTE teams are ready to mobilize for customer restoration as needed," said DTE spokesperson Colleen Rosso. "We understand that the coming weekend is not only a holiday but is also expected to be frigid. Should there be customer outages, we will do everything in our power to restore service as efficiently and safely as possible."
The energy company offered the following tips should outages be an issue:
- Safety for the community is always our top priority. Downed power lines may be hidden by debris, so be careful as you head outside. Stay at least one bus length (20 feet) away from downed power lines and don’t touch anything they may be in contact with – always consider them live and dangerous.
- Everyone should also heed the warning of yellow caution tape, which indicates there is a downed power line in the area.
- Never use a portable generator inside a home or business. It emits carbon monoxide, which can be deadly. Keep it outside, away from windows and doors, so the fumes won’t come in.
Metro Detroiters say they're hoping for the best.
"Well we pray that there won’t be any power outages but if so, hey, it’s mother nature," said Windham.
