Tree branches that fall on lines are one of the biggest reasons people lose power. That's why we trim trees near power lines before severe weather hits.

The goal is simple: help keep your power on and restore service faster when storms happen.

And it's working. Over the past four years, tree-related outages have decreased 25% across I&M's service area including reductions of 41% in the greater Fort Wayne area and 35% in the South Bend area. During that same period, the length of time customers have been without power due to tree-related issues has decreased by 55%.

Strong winds, heavy rain and ice can break branches or bring down entire trees. When that happens near power lines, homes and businesses can lose electricity.

By trimming trees before storms arrive, crews can reduce the chances of branches hitting power lines and causing outages.

Here's how you can help:

• Check your trees before storms. A quick look for dead or damaged branches can help prevent problems when severe weather arrives. If you see a tree-related hazard, you can report to I&M here.
• Watch for advance notice from us. If we're planning tree work in your area, we'll do our best to keep you informed every step of the way.
• Make sure we can reach you. Keeping your contact information up to date helps ensure you receive outage alerts and restoration updates when you need them most. You can update your I&M account here.

We can't prevent every outage during severe weather, but keeping trees away from power lines is one of the most effective ways to help keep the lights on when storms move through.