Hotels in Wixom Packed Up as Local Residents Seek Shelter Following Storm-induced Power Outages
The storm that hit Wixom, Michigan on Tuesday caused power outages, resulting in thousands of people in the area finding shelter in nearby hotels. Due to power loss, many residents faced uncomfortable living conditions and sought solace in local accommodations.
A majority of the hotels in Wixom got booked within no time. From sustaining a quieter pace on a typical day, they were suddenly dealing with an influx of residents frantically trying to secure a room. As a result, many hotel staff spent hours checking people in and managing phone calls from locals.
Among the storm-hit residents was Tonya Etter, who cited her 5-month-old pitbull Sasha’s health as a primary reason for vacating their home. Etter explained, “If she gets too hot, it could kill her. It just seems like every time we get a bad storm, we always lose power, and they want to up the rates.”
But it wasn’t just Etter’s home that suffered a power cut. More than 300,000 Michigan residents lost power due to the turbulent thunderstorms that swept across the region.
By Wednesday afternoon, over 150,000 Southeast Michigan people were still without power. The recurring power cuts led to locals booking hotel rooms for the second day consecutively. Most people were dealing with lack of power and air-conditioning in their homes.
And finding a hotel room wasn’t an easy task for residents, according to Etter. With most places booked up, she finally found a place at the My Place Hotel in Wixom. The hotel mentioned that all 64 of their rooms got filled Tuesday night.
Other hotels like the Springhill Suites and Woodspring Suites also reported having all their rooms filled up. As the hotels became overbooked, many managers expressed concern over turning away people who were in need.
Elizabeth Wister, another local who lost power due to the storm, was lucky enough to secure a room at Woodspring Suites. “We got a room under $100, and it’s a nice room too,” she added. “It’s real nice having A.C. You know, TV’s working, you can charge all your tablets, your phone.”
As forecasts predict more unpredictable weather, residents currently staying in hotels plan to extend their stay. Etter says, “I’m very grateful. I’m very grateful. If not, we would’ve gone out of town to get a place, just to get Sasha into a comfortable room.”
For people in similar circumstances, it’s advisable to make a room reservation as soon as possible. Power restoration efforts are currently underway, and it’s estimated that at least 90% of affected residents will regain power by Thursday night.
