By Indiana Michigan Power—
FORT WAYNE, Ind., Feb. 2, 2022, 12 p.m. – The first wave of a winter storm is hitting Indiana Michigan Power’s (I&M) service area this morning and will continue through tomorrow evening with heavy snowfall, light ice and rain. I&M crews are prepared and ready to safely respond in the event a power outage occurs.
AEP’s full staff of Meteorologists are monitoring the storm and informing I&M employees of the impacts. I&M also closely monitors forecasts from the National Weather Service and other reputable organizations. All of I&M’s service area is on track to receive heavy snowfall through tomorrow afternoon/evening causing treacherous travel conditions. Winds gusts will likely cause blowing and drifting snow.
I&M has line workers, damage assessors and vegetation workers prepared for restoration efforts as needed as soon as conditions safely allow. Crew schedules are in place to enable them to respond 24/7 during the storm. Employees have also readied trucks, placed poles on trailers and equipped appropriate trucks with snow plows.
As of 11:30 a.m., I&M recorded about 600 customers without power — 360 customers in Michigan and 230 customers Indiana. Not all of the outages are necessarily weather related.
Ice and Snow on Trees, Limbs, Branches and Power Lines:
Heavy ice and wet snow buildup on trees and branches could enable them to fall on power lines. This is usually the main cause of power outages during a winter storm. Ice buildup of a quarter-inch or more could cause trees to topple. Heavy, wet snow of six inches or more can also cause trees to fall on power lines. The heavy weight of major ice buildup directly on power lines can also causes lines to fall or sag.
Vehicle Accident Hazards:
Vehicle accidents are often a cause of power outages, especially with snow and ice covered roads. Stay safe and avoid driving until road conditions are favorable. Please use caution if you see an I&M employee, business partner or first responder working on the side of the road. Please don’t approach an I&M worker or contactor.
Damage Assessment and Restoration Process:
As conditions permit, crews will assess damage to determine the type of crews and supplies needed to restore electricity. The assessment process enables I&M to systematically restore power to the most customers as soon as safely possible.
Customers may see damage assessors in neighborhoods before crews arrive to start restoration work. Damage assessment could take a significant amount of time depending on road conditions and the severity of damage.
Power restoration is prioritized in four steps:
1. Critical services such as water treatment facilities, emergency response and hospitals
2. Large circuit outages affecting multiple neighborhoods and large pockets of customers
3. Outages affecting smaller groups of customers
4. Outages affecting individual accounts
How Customers Can Stay Informed:
— Customers can use the I&M app to monitor the status of any outage affecting your home or business — IndianaMichiganPower.com/App.
— Customers can sign up for text and email alerts on the app or at IndianaMichiganPower.com/Alerts.
— Customers can see the location and status of outages using our outage map at IndianaMichiganPower.com/OutageMap.
—Customers can follow I&M on Facebook and Twitter where they can get up-to-date information and help from customer service representatives.
Important Safety Information for Customers:
— Now is the time to make a plan. Decide what you’ll do if there’s an extended power outage. Check with those who are older, have medical conditions or little children to make sure they have a plan in place. Charge phones, laptops and other electronic devices
— Prepare an emergency kit with essential items. For example, flashlights, fresh batteries, water for drinking and cooking, non-perishable food, a can opener, and important prescription medication.
—Stay far away from sparking equipment or downed lines or anything the wires may touch. If you encounter a fallen wire, keep yourself and others away, including children and pets, and call 911 and Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) at 1-800-311-4634.
— If a customer uses a generator, please make sure to follow all manufacturing guidelines.
For more safety tips visit www.IndianaMichiganPower.com/Safety.
