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It’s a fact of life in the Mid-South: Severe and extreme weather can impact our lives. The good news is that MLGW, the City of Memphis and partner agencies are already well prepared for anything that comes our way.
Here’s a look at those preparations — and some tips and info for you to be prepared.
First, check the weather. The National Weather Service’s Memphis office is a great resource for forecasts and current conditions. The NWS is also particularly active on Twitter and Facebook, giving real-time info during severe weather conditions.
The NWS is also the go-to source for river stages in the event of flooding:
Second, double-check that you’re prepared. The Shelby County Office of Preparedness is a great resource for tips and guidance on how to be prepared for severe weather events.
So, how are we working for you? The City of Memphis' Office of Emergency Management (OEM) activates during severe weather and other major events, serving as a one-stop shop for agencies to coordinate with one another as quickly as possible. If the incident is severe enough, OEM will coordinate with Red Cross to provide shelters.
OEM also activates warming and cooling centers based on pre-set policies:
- During the months of December through February, when forecasts indicate three or more consecutive days of low temperatures below 20 degrees, warming stations will be established.
- Cooling Centers are places where residents dealing with heat index of at least 105°F for more than three hours per day for two consecutive days, or heat index more than 115°F for any period of time, may escape the extreme conditions. Primary locations for cooling centers are usually malls, shopping centers, libraries, and community centers that are opened during normal business.
The Memphis Area Transit Authority (MATA) provides free transportation to warming centers. Call OEM at 636-2525 to arrange a ride.
If you have a tree down in a public right-of-way, you can report it to OEM at 636-2525. Public Works activates its crews to remove those trees.
Mostly, though, you’re probably wondering this: When will my power be back on? View how the restoration process works.
You can check where outages are on MLGW’s Outage Map.
Need to report an outage or another situation to MLGW? Here are the important numbers.
Safety information about downed power lines can be found here.
MLGW is active on social media during large-scale outages. Follow MLGW on Twitter and Facebook.
Memphis, TN 38103