Power is back on in all Rochester Community Schools buildings. The district's about 14,900 students return to class Tuesday, Sept. 8.

RCS confirmed on X Monday, Sept. 7, that electricity had been restored across all 21 campuses after severe storms knocked out power to multiple buildings the previous week.

The update closes a chaotic stretch that began Thursday, Sept. 3, when the district sent students home early. RCS posted a weather alert that morning reporting multiple buildings without power, then announced an early dismissal as another round of heavy storms approached.

Downed trees blocked Sheldon Road near Hugger Elementary. Tienken Road closed west of Adams High School, forcing parents picking up students at Adams to reroute through the Adams Road entrance. Bus routes operated by Durham School Services ran behind schedule because of poor road conditions.

The storms also scrambled the evening's athletics. The Falcon Frenzy was canceled. The Rochester-Rochester Adams football game was pushed to an 8 p.m. start at Rochester High School, and Stoney Creek's game moved to Clarkston High School. Rochester Adams rallied past the Falcons 21-19 in that delayed contest.

The damage extended well beyond the district. The Oakland Press reported that DTE Energy counted 265,000 customers without electricity by mid-morning Friday, Sept. 4. Power lines tilted over Tienken Road in front of Adams High School in Rochester Hills. DTE deployed more than 3,700 crew members, including out-of-state lineworkers, and said it expected to restore power to 65% of affected customers by Friday and 90% by Saturday, Sept. 5. By early Friday morning, 145,000 customers had already had service restored.

The Labor Day recess, already on the calendar for Sept. 4-7, gave crews extra time to finish repairs before students needed to be back in classrooms. No additional school days were lost beyond the Sept. 3 early dismissal.