Final Stages of Restoration Begin

MLGW crews this morning are beginning the final stages of restoration following this week’s storms and high winds. Since Monday afternoon’s storm, MLGW has restored power to about 48,100 of the 50,000 customers affected. MLGW crews have been working 24 hours a day, in 16-hour shifts in order to restore power Provided no additional inclement weather hits the area, full restoration is still expected this evening.

To summarize:

• About 125 crews are currently in the field restoring power, including 19 out of town crews.

• Any customer still without power should call 544-6500 today to ensure their outage is logged in the system.

• To report an emergency such as downed wires or gas leaks, please call 528-4465.

• MLGW’s Customer Care Center will be open until 7 p.m. tonight to take customer calls (544-MLGW).

• Some customers may have damage to their weatherheads. If it is damaged, a customer must have it repaired by a licensed electrician and inspected by Shelby County Code Enforcement before MLGW can restore your power. An example of a weatherhead can be found here.

• Areas with the heaviest damage have the longest restoration times. With this storm, restoration involves multiple MLGW crews performing repairs.

• For example, an MLGW troubleshooter may be sent out to analyze a problem. If the problem is simple, the troubleshooter may be able to repair it. However, for a restoration process like this one, with heavy damages, a troubleshooter needs to call in tree trimmers and overhead crews to clear an area. Once the tree trimmers complete their task, an overhead line crew might be necessary to repair or replace poles or lines.

• Never use a generator indoors or in an enclosed area such as a garage. Generators emit toxic carbon monoxide from the engine exhaust.

• A generator should only be operated in a well-ventilated and dry area, away from air intakes to the home.