Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) is advising customers to prepare for several days without power due to severe storms that caused widespread damage throughout Memphis and Shelby County on Saturday evening.
MLGW President and CEO Doug McGowen reported that a bow echo storm system produced strong straight-line winds in the area. The utility confirmed wind speeds exceeding 70 mph, but as of Saturday night, there was no confirmation of any tornadoes touching down. More than 25% of MLGW customers have experienced power outages due to the storm.
“We expect to have a very vast majority of all customers restored by Thursday evening,” he said, emphasizing that the timeline is a preliminary estimate that may change as crews gain a better understanding of the damage.
During a press conference on Saturday evening, McGowen stated that MLGW's top priority is to restore service to critical infrastructure, including hospitals, water treatment plants, and wastewater facilities. After that, crews will focus on circuits where repairs can quickly restore electricity to the greatest number of customers.
The outages may also impact schools in the upcoming week. McGowen stated that MLGW aims to provide a more thorough assessment of individual schools by Sunday evening, allowing parents, teachers, and administrators to prepare accordingly.
“It’s fair to say that for schools that are out of power, some of them will be interrupted next week and have to make some alternate plans,” he said.
MLGW and tree-trimming crews will work Saturday night to assess the damage, reroute power when possible, and work to restore any known outages. More than 30 contractor crews, equaling over 100 additional workers, will also head to the area, with more assistance expected to arrive soon.
McGowen said crews have already restored electricity to more than 10,000 customers and would continue working throughout the night.
“We’ll hit it incredibly hard overnight, and all the way through until we have every last customer restored,” McGowen said. “We’ll get to you as quick as we possibly can.”
McGowen also urged those who still have electricity to check on friends and neighbors who may need assistance.
Power outages can be monitored at wknofm.org/outage. Outages should be reported directly to the MLGW Outage Hotline at (901) 544-6500.