(April 28, 2011)—MLGW crews have restored power to 48,600 customers since Tuesday's storms and yesterday's high winds caused outages to MLGW customers. After yesterday's developments, the total number of outages since Tuesday now stands at 55,600 and crews will continue to work around the clock to restore power to the remaining 7,000 customers.

MLGW still estimates final restoration will take place on Saturday.

Progress is likely to slow today as restoration moves further down the system and outages that affect smaller pockets of customers.

A total of 137 MLGW are working in the field, including 19 outside crews from Ohio and Illinois.

MLGW reminds customers that emergencies should be reported to 528-4465. Emergencies are life-threatening and significant property damage situations such as gas leaks, strong odor of gas, downed or sparking electrical lines, burst water lines, and unsafe MLGW street barricades. This number should be treated like 911. Outages should be reported to 544-6500. An electrical outage is not an emergency except where life support equipment is off.

Utility Flood Safety Tips

With flooding becoming an issue in Shelby County, here are some flood-related utility tips:

• If your home or business is experiencing flooding, contact MLGW's emergency hotline at 528-4465 so we can disconnect your utility services if necessary.
• Stay away from any electrical that may be in contact with water and always assume that it's energized.
• You should never attempt to operate breakers or switches that are wet or under water, even if it's just to turn them off. Never attempt to disconnect or remove your electric meter; call MLGW to have this done.
• If you are using a portable generator, make sure it does not come into contact with water.
• If you do experience water damage to your home's electrical system or appliances, you will need to have them inspected by a qualified, licensed electrical professional.

Generator Safety Tips

• Never use a generator indoors or in an enclosed area such as a garage. Generators emit toxic carbon monoxide from the engine exhaust.
• A generator should only be operated in a well-ventilated and dry area, away from air intakes to the home.
• Do not attempt to restore power to your entire house by plugging the generator into a wall outlet. The electricity produced by a generator can ruin your home's wiring and start a fire, and can also feed back into the utility system and energize a line thought to be without power possibly killing utility workers trying to restore power. It can also cause damage to the generator when electric service is restored.
• Handle fuel carefully. Turn the generator off prior to refueling. Gasoline, kerosene and other flammable liquids should be stored outside of living areas in properly labeled safety containers.
• Turn off or disconnect all appliances prior to operating a portable generator. Once the generator is running, appliances powered by the generator can be turned on one at a time.

Important MLGW Contact Information:

• Outage Reporting: 544-6500
• Emergency: 528-4465
• Customer Care Center: 544-MLGW (6549)
• www.twitter.com/mlgw
• www.facebook.com/mlgw1

MLGW is the largest three-service public power utility in the nation, serving more than 423,000 customers in Memphis and Shelby County.