Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) is closely monitoring a dangerous and unstable weather system that is expected to affect its service area starting at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday, April 2). The National Weather Service warns of potential damaging winds, tornadoes, and severe flooding, with storms anticipated to continue until midnight. Additional rounds of severe weather are also forecast to occur throughout the weekend.
New day 1 outlook has expanded the High Risk (5/5) through more of the Mid-South.
— NWS Memphis (@NWSMemphis) April 2, 2025
ALL storm threats are expected, with strong tornadoes (EF-2+), large hail (2+ inches), and damaging winds (75+ mph). Please ensure you have ways to receive warnings this afternoon and evening. pic.twitter.com/pNc5OoNBfq
MLGW has coordinated with the National Weather Service and local emergency agencies to prepare for the storm's potential impact. The utility has placed its crews, contracted repair teams, and emergency tree trimming crews on standby to respond to any damage and outages throughout the region.
In a press release, MLGW states that despite ongoing improvements in tree trimming and infrastructure upgrades, high winds exceeding 55 mph combined with heavy rainfall could saturate the ground, thereby increasing the risk of outages caused by falling trees.
The utility company is advising customers to prepare for potential service interruptions. They recommend securing outdoor items that could be blown away by strong winds and storing enough nonperishable food and water to last for up to three days.
MLGW says in their press release that the restoration efforts following storm damage involve complex logistics. Replacing downed utility poles is a significant construction effort, with each pole requiring an average of eight hours of work. Crews must coordinate with law enforcement to manage road closures and direct traffic to ensure safety during repairs.
MLGW has almost 50 crews ready to assess damage, perform repairs, and restore power. These teams are prepared to work around the clock under challenging conditions to safely restore service, although some customers may face prolonged outages.
Restoration efforts will initially concentrate on critical infrastructure and areas significantly impacting the community. This includes hospitals, flood control pumps, and public safety concerns like downed power lines. Once major outages are addressed, the focus will shift to neighborhoods and smaller, scattered outages.
Customers experiencing outages should first check if nearby homes are affected to understand the extent of the issue. Outages can be reported through the MLGW mobile app or by calling (901) 544 - 6500. For more storm and outage resources, visit wknofm.org/outage.
MLGW also advises the public to stay away from downed power lines and treat all such lines as energized. Customers should not attempt to remove fallen tree limbs or debris from power lines, as they can conduct electricity and pose serious risks.
The utility encourages residents to check on neighbors, especially those needing assistance during extended outages, as the region braces for severe and potentially prolonged weather impacts.
As we have been talking about, this is not only a severe weather threat but a flooding threat. The potential for flash floods will really ramp up this evening and overnight, likely continuing for the next several days.
— NWS Memphis (@NWSMemphis) April 2, 2025
NEVER drive around barricades. pic.twitter.com/O55XKUQKSE
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