Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) has more than 270 employees and contractors in eastern Kentucky/West Virginia tonight as a powerful winter storm targets the area for the third time in just days.
Crews from across I&M’s service area are grounded as snow and ice pelts the region and are in local hotel rooms without power. I&M employees in West Virginia lost electric service at their respective hotel rooms, meaning crews are riding out the storm in the dark, along with thousands of customers.
I&M crews are facing dangerous conditions as they work 16 hours days to restore customers in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia assisting Kentucky Power and Appalachian Power.
Some of the hazards include:
- Bitter cold temperatures.
- Treacherous terrains, including mountains, steep hills and valleys.
- Dangerous driving and walking conditions.
- Ice on equipment and ice potentially causing trees to fall.
- Climbing power poles.
Snow is also affecting communities across I&M’s service territory tonight. I&M has a staff of meteorologists monitoring the weather and communicating current and future conditions to employees. We want to ensure customers, that even though crews are deployed in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, I&M is ready and prepared to respond if outages occur here at home.
I&M encourages customers to use the Indiana Michigan Power app during inclement weather and sign up for text and email alerts. IndianaMichiganPower.com/App
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