(April 5, 2011) - MLGW crews continued their around-the-clock efforts to restore power Tuesday. Bolstered by 17 out-of-town crews, workers cleared debris, trimmed trees and repaired lines, poles and other electric equipment damaged by Monday’s storm. About 17,000 customers remain without power. There are currently 75 crews in the field performing troubleshooting, tree trimming and pole and line repairs.

Power has been restored to more than 54,000 customers to this point. The heaviest damage was inflicted inside the I-240 loop, particularly in the southern portion of that area.

MLGW crews have continued to work 24 hours a day, in 16-hour shifts in order to restore power. For some customers, it could be Friday before final restoration is completed.

MLGW is now asking customers who are still without power to call the MLGW Outage Hotline at 544-6500 to make sure their outage is logged in the system. To report an outage, customers will need to have their account number or the phone number that's associated with their account.

To report an emergency such as downed wires or gas leaks, please call 528-4465. This number should be treated like 911 and only used for these types of emergencies.

Some customers may have damage to their weatherheads. The weatherhead is usually located above the roofline or attached to the gable or side of the house where the customer's wiring connects to MLGW's electric lines. The weatherhead is the homeowner's property and therefore is not maintained by MLGW. 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

Important MLGW contact information for customers:

Outage Reporting: 544-6500

Emergency: 528-4465

Customer Care Center: 544-MLGW (6549)

www.twitter.com/mlgw (customers can get additional information about outages and other utility related subjects through Twitter, but still must report their outage at 544-6500 for it to be entered into MLGW's system).

www.facebook.com/mlgw1

Downed Power Lines:

MLGW is reinforcing the need for safety around downed power lines and other potential hazards as Memphis and Shelby County residents begin debris removal from businesses and homes.

MLGW urges customers to be aware of their surroundings as they sift through debris. Customers should avoid contact with downed power lines—even if their home or area has experienced a loss of power the lines could still be energized. Also, if they are not careful, it is possible for the body to become a conduit for an electrical current, which could result in serious injury or death.

Customers are also asked to avoid the immediate area where MLGW crews are working. These work sites can be extremely hazardous.

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 cannot only ruin your home’s wiring and start a fire, but it 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.

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