Storm and Outage Details

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) and its dedicated storm restoration team comprised of I&M employees, contractors and mutual assistance personnel will continue to work safely and quickly to restore power after Thursday evening’s severe storms disrupted service to its customers. 

  

• As of 8:30 a.m., more than 31,000 customers are without power – 90% of impacted customers are in southwest Michigan. I&M’s storm restoration team worked through the night restoring power where it was safe to do so to the more 35,000 customers affected at the peak of the storm.
• Damage assessment and response is underway. So far, downed power lines, broken or damaged power poles and numerous downed trees have been discovered. 
• Due to considerable damage to electrical equipment, I&M anticipates having most southwest Michigan customers who can receive power restored by 11 p.m., Saturday May 17 and Indiana customers by 11 p.m., Friday, May 16. Many customers will receive service before the estimated time.
• Please be aware, as crews work to safely repair the electrical system additional outages may occur. Customers can stay up to date with their specific outage with the I&M Mobile App - IndianaMichiganPower.com/App.
• Ahead of the storm, I&M made the proactive call for mutual assistance personnel and additional personnel will arrive today to help restore I&M customers.
• I&M is closely monitoring the potential for additional storms this afternoon. If outages do occur I&M will be staffed to respond.
• I&M crews, mutual assistance personnel and contractors are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. Please do not approach crews for their safety and yours.
• Safety remains a significant concern. As customers survey their property, please treat any downed lines as energized. Call local police to report any hazards or call I&M immediately at 1-800-311-4634.

RECEIVE RESTORATION UPDATES:

As a result of the significant impacts from the storm, I&M anticipates most southwest Michigan customers should be restored by 11 p.m., Saturday May 17 and Indiana customers by 11 p.m. Friday, May 16. Most customers will have power before the estimated time.

As crews begin work on individual outages, an estimated time of restoration will be communicated to customers. Stay connected and informed with the following:

• Monitor the status of your outage at IndianaMichiganPower.com/App.
• Sign up for text and email alerts on the app or at IndianaMichiganPower.com/Alerts.
• View outages and estimates at IndianaMichiganPower.com/OutageMap.

HOW I&M RESTORES POWER:

Customers are often concerned when they see crews leave before power is restored. The entire line must be assessed before power is restored - for the safety of your family and our crews. Power restoration is prioritized in 4 steps to ensure public safety and restore as many customers as quickly as possible:

1. Assessing - Our crews identify safety hazards and assess the damage to determine what is needed to make repairs.
2. Essentials - Essential public safety facilities such as hospitals, 9-1-1 call centers, water treatment facilities, and police and fire stations are restored first. 
3. Large Groups – next our crews restore power to large clusters of customers where a single repair can restore hundreds or thousands of customers. 
4. Small clusters and Individuals - are then restored to complete the process.

SAFETY MESSAGES:

• Stay Away from Downed Lines: Remember, all downed lines should be considered deadly. The power line and anything it could touch, including fences or in standing water, can carry electric currents which could cause serious or even fatal injuries. If you see a fallen wire, keep yourself and others, including pets away and call 911 or Indiana Michigan Power immediately at 1-800-311-4634.
• Take it slow on the road. For those driving, take it slow and be on the lookout for utility personnel, emergency personnel and tree removal crews working in the area. 
• For more safety tips visit IndianaMichiganPower.com/safety/storms/.