WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) has restored 80% of affected customers overnight with approximately 3,700 customers remaining. Most are expected to be restored by 11 p.m. tonight, with many customers receiving power before then.
- 600 restoration experts worked throughout the night to restore power and additional crews arriving today will bring the totals to more than 1,000 strong. The team is focused on the hardest-hit areas of Muncie, South Bend and southwest Michigan.
- Customers should use the I&M app and enroll in text/email alerts for the fastest updates and estimated restoration times.
- Look out for downed wires. Stay away from any downed power lines and anything it may be touching out of your line of sight, including fences, trees and debris. Report any hazard to I&M at 1-800-311-4634 or to local police.
SITUATION:
I&M made significant progress overnight safely restoring 80% of the customers affected from last night’s two rounds of storms. As of 8 a.m., approximately 3,700 customers are without power down from 19,626 outages at the height of the storm. I&M anticipates that most of the customers that lost power will be restored by 11 p.m. tonight, with many customers receiving power before then.
Additional crews will arrive today making I&M’s restoration team more than 1,000 strong. Crews will work safely and quickly today in the hardest hit areas of South Bend, southwest Michigan and Muncie. In these areas strong winds and heavy rain combined with the already saturated ground contributed to numerous trees uprooting or tree limbs falling into power lines causing outages.
Working through the night, crews discovered 30 broken or damaged poles and more than 75 individual spans or downed wires (power line running from pole to pole) in Indiana and 24 broken or damaged poles and numerous spans of downed wires in Michigan.
Weather conditions are favorable today for restoration efforts.
We know a prolonged outage is inconvenient for customers. We ask for your understanding, as our priority is the safety of our customers, employees and contractors.
BY THE NUMBERS
- OUTAGES AS OF 8 A.M.
- Total Customers: 3,756
- Indiana Customers: 2,590
- Michigan Customers: 1,166
- Peak Outages: 19,626
- RESTORATION TEAM:
- DAMAGE TOTALS:
- Broken or Damaged Poles: 54
- Individuals Spans of Downed Wires: 75+
RESTORATION UPDATES:
The quickest way to stay updated on restoration times is through the I&M app and text/email alerts. The app shows outage details for your home and business, and text or email alerts will send you estimated restoration times. Customers can download and enroll in alerts here.
Customers can also check outage status anytime at IndianaMichiganPower.com/OutageMap.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Watch out for downed wires. Stay away from downed power lines and anything it may be touching or is hidden by debris – like a fence or a tree. Report any hazard to I&M at 1-800-311-4634 or to local police.
- Be Alert. Trees could fall or drop limbs at any moment. Be alert and look around and up.
- Give crews space. If you see an I&M crew, please give them enough space to work and do not try to ask them questions. They are working with and near dangerous equipment.
- Some traffic lights are out. If a stoplight isn’t working, treat it as a stop sign. Take it slow on the road.
- Use generators safely. Connect all appliances directly to the generator. Don’t connect the generator's electrical output to any home or building electrical circuits. Don’t use gas-powered generators in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces, like inside a garage or a home.
- For more safety tips, visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/Weather.