Memphis Faces Power Struggles Following Hurricane Francine
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – If you’re in Memphis, you may want to grab your umbrella because the forecasts predict some pretty wet weather coming our way. Today will start off with some showers in the morning and, although we might see some sunshine later, the clouds will linger around a bit. Expect a high near 77°F with gentle east-southeast winds flowing at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight, temperatures will drop to around 67°F, with winds staying light and variable.
Power Outages Plague the Mid-South
In light of the recent weather, the aftermath of Hurricane Francine has left countless residents juggling without power. It’s been quite a scene here in the Mid-South, with the Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) reporting a significant strain on their service. As of Friday afternoon, around 6,899 customers were still without power across 187 outages. It seems three main areas were particularly hit hard:
- From Stage Road to Egypt Central Road, 1,748 customers were left in the dark.
- The area extending from East Holmes Road to East Raines Road suffered with 1,345 customers disconnected.
- And from Winchester Road to Dogwood Park, we saw 1,022 customers experiencing outages.
Timeline of Struggles
The situation has only escalated since Thursday evening, when the outages spiked at around 20,605 customers by 7:10 p.m. As the evening wore on, this number fluctuated, reaching even as high as 24,000 outages at one point! Areas like Midtown, Downtown, South Memphis, and even Cordova bore the brunt of these disruptions, with the stretch around Lamar Avenue and Airways reporting nearly 4,500 customers without power.
As we moved into the Friday morning hours, things worsened before they got better. At 10:00 a.m., there were 11,440 customers without power attributed to 258 outages. A particularly high number was recorded in the areas of Harbor Town and North Memphis, where nearly 2,703 people were affected. The same neighborhood phenomenon continued, with consistent reports of large outage clusters throughout the city.
Restoration Efforts Underway
While recovery efforts by MLGW are ongoing, residents are encouraged to report any outages they experience. MLGW has been actively working to restore power, but the demands have been overwhelming, particularly in areas where power lines have been damaged so extensively by the storm’s winds and rain.
Special crews have been called in and are working diligently to ensure that power is restored as soon as possible. If you happen to be without power, hang in there; the teams are on it!
Stay Prepared
As we deal with the remnants of Hurricane Francine, it’s a great reminder for everyone to stay prepared. Having an emergency kit with flashlights, batteries, and non-perishable foods can also save you from a lot of hassle. And while we patiently wait for the lights to come back, let’s look for the bright side—literally! Keep an eye on that weather forecast, and let’s hope for a swift return to normalcy.
In the meantime, take care of each other, check on your neighbors, and hang tight. The weekend is upon us, and whether it brings rain or shine, let’s embrace it together!
