Thousands of MLGW customers without power as storm rolls in
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With storms rolling into the area, many are bracing for heavy rains and high winds Monday.
As forecasted by WREG’s Todd Demers on Monday afternoon, the worst of the rain and wind are expected to come between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., right in the middle of rush hour.
By 5 p.m., ahead of much of the worst of the storm, MLGW reported more than 6,000 customers already without power — a number that jumped by about 4,000 a few minutes earlier.
“We are always prepared to deal with weather-related outages,” MLGW said in a statement. “Crews are prepared to work around the clock if needed.”
With wind gusts expected to go as fast as 60 mph, Shelby County Emergency Management’s Deputy Administrator, Charles Newell said residents should be cautious.
“I think they should take it very seriously because there may be wind gust up to 60 mph and at that rate things could be moved around,” Newell said.
Stormy Monday: High winds, heavy rain expected
Another thing that could be affected by the winds are people’s power.
“Where there are high winds, tree limbs could fall on electrical wires which would cause a power distribution and in that case we advise people to take precautions,” Newell said.
In a statement MLGW gave to WREG’s Shay Simon, they said that they are “prepared to deal with weather related outages” and “crews are prepared to work around the clock if needed.”
If customers have an outage, MLGW says they can report it by calling 901-544-6500.
MLGW has a preparedness guide for customers on mlgw.com, which has tips and general information to get ready for any weather emergency.
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