5,000 MLGW customers lose power as storm rolls through
UPDATE: Storms hit Memphis around 1 a.m. Thursday. By 1:30, the number of MLGW customers without power was just above 5,200.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis, Light, Gas, and Water says it is prepared for any weather-related outages as severe weather is anticipated in the Mid-South overnight.
The U.S. National Weather Service says parts of the Mid-south may experience winds over 80 miles per hour, large hail, and possible tornadoes. This could mean power outages.
Wreg crews spotted numerous tree trimming crews across Shelby County, removing tree limbs from power lines ahead of the storm.
Severe Weather Forecast: Dangerous winds, tornadoes and hail may reach Mid-South
Over in the 6200 block of Summer Avenue in northeast Memphis, crews worked to remove what’s left of a fallen tree that left dozens of people in the dark on Monday.
“I have a small business around the corner. It’s a center for kids with autism, and we have to call parents to tell them we’re canceling sessions for the morning because we didn’t have power,” said April Acosta, one of MLGW’s customers.
Even though MLGW says crews are prepared to work around the clock if needed, they encourage customers to be prepared, as well.
They suggest having an emergency survival kit filled with must-have items such as water, canned foods, a battery-operated flashlight and radio, and a first aid kit.
Acosta says she too is preparing for possible power outages.
“I definitely plan to get a generator. Like, we cannot keep going through this,” she said. “I don’t know what’s changed. I don’t know if the storms are worse. I just know that we lose power quite often.”
MLGW says if you are going to use a portable generator, never use it indoors or in an enclosed area, only use it in a well-ventilated and dry location, and do not attempt to restore power to your entire house by plugging it into a wall outlet.
They say the electricity produced by the generator can not only start a possible fire but also feed back into the utility system and energize a line thought to be without power – which could be fatal for utility crews working on those lines.
Check the latest forecasts from WREG Weather
The time it takes to restore power depends on many variables including the cause of the outage, the number of components damaged, whether or not trees need to be trimmed, and the number of customers impacted, according to MLGW.
If you experience any outages, you are encouraged to call the Outage Reporting Hotline at 901-544-6500. For more information on how to be weather-aware, visit here.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
