Ice Storm '94

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the now infamous February 1994 ice storm. The Weather Channel listed it among the top ten worst ice storms in the history of the country. It impacted 11 states: Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The ice storm caused $3 billion worth of damage. It raged from February 9th through the 13th, pummeling Memphis February 11.

During that severe weather event approximately 250,000 people were without power, some for as long as 17 days. The weight of the ice brought down both trees and power poles. 146 circuits were off and miles of primary and secondary wires were down. The event activated MLGW's disaster response plan with crews working 16-hour days to restore power. At the time, the Division was 55 years old.

In the February 25, 1994 edition of the Division Digest then President and CEO Bill Crawford said:

"Many have praised our efforts, and there have also been rumors and much criticism. Certainly no one denies that there will be areas of improvement as we look back on the greatest natural disaster in the history of the company. However, there is one area in which we are certain that the correct actions were taken, and that is on the part of employees." 

Investments in the utility's infrastructure would help cut down on the number and duration of outages we experience in severe weather events like the '94 ice storm. Most of the infrastructure is between 40 and 80 years old and needs updating. MLGW has proposed a rate increase to cover those costs. We know you have questions about the proposal -- that's why MLGW is hosting in-person, town hall meetings the week of February 11 to February 15. Come to a town hall meeting near you to have your concerns addressed in person or join President & CEO J.T. Young on Facebook Live Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 1:00 p.m.