When severe weather left tens of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity across northern Indiana in June, Indiana Michigan Power's (I&M) storm response team worked around the clock to safely get the lights back on.

That effort has been recognized with one of the electric industry's highest honors. I&M has been named a recipient of the Edison Electric Institute's (EEI) Emergency Recovery Award, which recognizes an EEI member company's efforts to safely and efficiently restore service to its customers following a major event.

The award recognizes the dedication of I&M employees, contractors and crews from neighboring power companies who worked tirelessly to restore power following multiple rounds of severe weather on June 11-13, 2026. The storms caused widespread damage across northern Indiana, leaving thousands of customers without power. The hardest-hit areas were South Bend and Elkhart, where an EF-2 tornado with winds of up to 115 mph damaged poles, power lines and other electrical equipment.

During one of the largest storm recovery efforts in recent company history, I&M's storm restoration team worked nearly 136,000 hours in challenging heat and humidity, repairing more than 300 broken poles and rebuilding more than 700 sections of power line. Their dedication helped restore power to approximately 62,000 customers, with more than 90% of affected customers restored within 42 hours, allowing communities to begin recovering quickly.

Winners for the EEI Emergency Recovery Award were selected by a panel of judges through a nomination process. The awards were presented during EEI's September Board of Directors and Chief Executives Meeting.

"When severe weather strikes, our member companies mobilize around the clock to restore power safely and as quickly as possible for the customers they serve," said Drew Maloney, President and CEO of EEI. "EEI is proud to recognize I&M with the Emergency Recovery Award for its outstanding response following the damaging storms this June. This honor reflects the skill and determination of I&M's workforce, who prepare year-round—practicing, planning, and investing in resilience—so they're ready to face the toughest conditions and get the lights back on for communities who depend on them."

"When a storm causes widespread outages, people want to know when the lights will come back on and what to expect in the meantime. This recognition reflects the dedication of the men and women who worked day and night to restore power safely and keep customers informed," said Maryam S. Brown, President and COO of I&M. "I'm incredibly proud of how people across I&M came together to help our communities and grateful for the patience and support shown by our customers."

While this award recognizes one historic storm response, the work behind it happens every day. I&M employees inspect and upgrade equipment, trim trees away from power lines, use technology to spot potential issues and prepare year-round for severe weather. These efforts help reduce outages, shorten the time customers are without power and ensure communities can count on safe, reliable power when they need it most.