(April 29, 2011) - MLGW crews this morning are beginning the final stages of restoration following this week’s storms and high winds. Since Tuesday, MLGW has restored power to about 53,600 of the 55,600 customers affected. Most customers will be restored by this evening. A small number of individual outages may remain unresolved until Saturday, but MLGW crews will continue to work diligently to restore their power.

To summarize:

About 125 crews are currently in the field restoring power, including 19 out of town crews.

Any customer still without power should call 544-6500 today to ensure their outage is logged in the system.

Estimated cost of restoration for this storm is $2.8 million; overall cost of April storms is $9.4 million.

To report an emergency such as downed wires or gas leaks, please call 528-4465.

MLGW's Customer Care Center will be open until 7 p.m. tonight to take customer calls (544-MLGW).

Some customers may have damage to their weatherheads. If it is damaged, a customer must have it repaired by a licensed electrician and inspected by Code Enforcement before MLGW can restore your power. An example of a weatherhead can be found here: http://mlgw.com/images/weather_head.jpg.

MLGW Prepares for Effects of Flooding

MLGW has been working closely with the EMA, City of Memphis, Corps of Engineers and other entities to plan for the possible flooding.

None of the MLGW electric substations are expected to be affected.

MLGW water pumping stations are not threatened by the possible flood -- they all sit above the potential flood area.

We do have some wells that could be affected, but in the event that happens, MLGW will simply shut them down and utilize other wells to supply our customers without interruption.

MLGW's natural gas services are not expected to be affected by the flooding.

MLGW is staying in contact with a number of its industrial customers in the event they need assistance with de-energizing if they are affected by the flood.

Utility Flood Safety 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 anything 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.

Shut the water off if you have a shut-off valve inside your home. Do not shut it off at the street.

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.