Press release from Indiana Michigan Power:
I&M makes preparations for winter storm
Meteorologists have issued a winter storm watch for Indiana Michigan Power’s (I&M) service territory Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Heavy snow accumulations of 8 to 15 inches are predicted, with isolated higher amounts possible, for northern Indiana and southern Michigan. Significant ice accumulations of 1/4″ to 1/2″ also is possible for the Muncie area.
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is making preparations now by monitoring storm conditions and working with mutual assistance partners to bring in additional crews in the event of extensive outages. I&M also ensures it has sufficient supplies and properly equipped vehicles to make the restoration process as safe and efficient as possible. In the meantime, I&M is advising customers to be prepared for the possibility of extended power outages depending on the severity of the storm. Ice in particular can be damaging to the electric system since its weight can bring trees down into power lines.
So what should customers do in the event of outages?
First, let I&M know. Customers should call I&M’s Customer Solutions Center toll-free number at 1-800-311-4634. Customers who use web-enabled mobile devices can report an outage at www.indianamichiganpower.com. If there is a widespread power outage, I&M posts information about restoration efforts on www.indianamichiganpower.com.
The following are a few tips for coping with outages:
- Never touch a downed wire. Always treat this situation as dangerous. Report this condition by phone or online as soon as possible.
- Prepare an emergency kit with flashlight(s), battery-powered lamp and fresh batteries; battery-powered radio or television; water for drinking and cooking; instructions for manually opening power-operated garage doors; manual can opener.
- Minimize opening refrigerator and freezer doors. This will keep foods fresh longer.
- Disconnect (trip breakers in your electrical panel) major heating and cooling equipment circuits. In fact, leave just one or two lights switched “on” to let you know when power is restored. Once power is restored, turn on appliances gradually.
- If the temperatures dip below freezing and the power outage is projected to last overnight or longer, consider moving to a shelter or in with friends or relatives who do have electricity.
- If you leave your house, protect your water pipes from freezing by turning the water off at the main shutoff valve and opening faucets to drain the water.
- If you use a well system that depends on electricity, be sure to stockpile your water supply.
For more outage safety tips, visit www.indianamichiganpower.com.
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, and serves more than 580,000 customers in Indiana and Michigan. It operates 3,595 MW of coal-fired generation in Indiana, 2,110 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, and 22 MW of hydro generation in both states.
I&M is a unit of American Electric Power (AEP), which is one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. AEP ranks among the nation’s largest generators of electricity, owning more than 38,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the U.S. AEP also owns the nation’s largest electricity transmission system, a nearly 39,000-mile network that includes more 765 kilovolt extra-high voltage transmission lines than all other U.S. transmission systems combined. AEP’s transmission system directly or indirectly serves about 10 percent of the electricity demand in the Eastern Interconnection, the interconnected transmission system that covers 38 eastern and central U.S. states and eastern Canada, and approximately 11 percent of the electricity demand in ERCOT, the transmission system that covers much of Texas. AEP’s utility units operate as AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana and east Texas). AEP’s headquarters are in Columbus, Ohio.
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