More than 400 employees and contractors for Indiana Michigan Power Company continue to work restoration efforts following a sizable storm that swept through Michigan's Great Southwest on Monday, leaving downed limbs and power lines in a swath from Baroda to Buchanan and beyond. As of 11am Tuesday there are still nearly 19,000 people in the region without power including 6,200 in Berrien County.
I&M officials say that they sustained 57 snapped utility poles, 25 broken cross arms and damage to 16 transformers as a result of the sudden storm that swept rapidly through less than 24-hours ago.
Fortunately, the weather today is a dramatic improvement and is expected to cooperate with the restoration efforts, with most of the work expected to be completed yet today. The South Bend neighborhood picked up an even bigger hit than Berrien, and currently still has 9,800 people without power in St. Joseph County, Indiana, and another 2,100 in LaPorte County.
Utility crews continue to caution everyone to avoid fallen power lines at all costs, as they can still be energized and cause serious or fatal injury.
If you have no power and want to keep immediate tabs on restoration times, enroll in Indiana Michigan Poser's Mobile Alert app which dispatches text messages to homeowners and businesses affected by any storm and is the fastest way to stay updated on the restoration status anywhere in the system. You can enroll in the I&M On the Go Mobile Alerts program by clicking the link below:
