WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- Across I&M’s service area, about three-quarters of customers impacted by Thursday’s storms have now been restored, and crews continue to make steady progress.
- If you are among the roughly 150 customers still without power in the Three Rivers area*, we expect to have most everyone restored by 6 p.m. today, with many seeing power sooner.
- In the Elkhart area**, where damage was most significant, nearly all customers are expected to be restored by 11 p.m. tonight, with continued progress throughout the day.
- We are aware that some customers are receiving inaccurate text alerts that power has been restored. We apologize for the inconvenience. It is happening because each customer is on a circuit. If we restore a portion of a circuit, our system is sending an alert to all customers on that circuit, even if the part that controls power to their location has not yet been repaired. We are working with our information systems to fix the problem moving forward.
- We know many customers have been without power for an extended time in hot, humid conditions, and we understand how difficult that is. Our crews are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service and bring you relief.
- Some outages are taking longer because entire trees have been uprooted and are tangled in the power lines. In many cases, crews must first cut up and remove those trees safely before repairs can begin.
SITUATION:
As of 1:00 p.m. approximately 13,900 customers are without power, as crews continue making steady progress restoring service across our system.
Over 1,600 restoration workers are on site including 1,100 mutual assistance workers who came in from other utilities. Approximately 890 additional mutual assistance workers will be arriving over the course of the day.
At this stage in restoration, much of the work involves smaller, more complex outages that may affect only one or a few customers at a time. While these can take longer to locate and repair, they are a sign that we are working through the final steps of restoration in many areas.
The storm caused significant damage, including more than 200 broken poles and over 600 downed wires. In some cases, crews must first remove large fallen trees and rebuild sections of the system before power can be safely restored. We know how difficult it is to be without power, especially in this heat, and our teams are working as quickly and safely as possible to get everyone restored.
If you are still without power and don’t see I&M crews present in your neighborhood, it does not mean you’ve been missed. In some cases, there may be an issue in another part of the electric system that is affecting your neighborhood or business. Our experts will continue working until everyone is restored.
BY THE NUMBERS:
OUTAGES
Total Customers: 13,913
Indiana: 13,660
- Elkhart: 12,129
- Fort Wayne: 55
- Marion: 169
- Muncie: 170
- South Bend: 1,137
- Winchester: 0
Southwest Michigan: 253
- Benton Harbor: 8
- Buchanan: 74
- Three Rivers: 171
CAN YOU RECEIVE POWER?
Due to the widespread damage from this storm, in some cases damage may affect the equipment connected directly to your home or business. If that’s the case, a licensed electrician may need to make repairs before we can safely restore service. Checking for any visible damage and contacting an electrician, if needed, can help those repairs get completed sooner so we can restore your power.
If our crews see damage that prevents restoration, we will contact you directly and/or leave a door hanger with next steps. You can learn more about the process here.
*Three Rivers, MI area includes the following communities:
- Allegan
- Bloomingdale
- Cassopolis
- Centreville
- Constantine
- Decatur
- Dowagiac
- Edwardsburg
- Gobles
- Grand Junction
- Jones
- Kalamazoo
- Keeler
- Lawton
- Marcellus
- Mattawan
- Mendon
**Elkhart, IN area includes the following communities:
- Bristol
- Elkhart
- Goshen
- Howe
- Liberty
- Mishawaka
- New Paris
- Osceola
- Wakarusa