MLGW customers swelter without air; relief may not come until Sunday
by: Bria Jones
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — By Thursday night, more than 12,000 Memphis, Light, Gas, and Water customers were still left without electricity.
While power has been restored for about 120,000 customers, MLGW’s president said it would realistically be Sunday by the time everyone had power restored.
“Our estimate for substantial restoration for everybody is by this Sunday. That is too long for many people but I’m just being realistic,” McGowen said.
Forty-eight hours ago, a large tree came crashing down on White Station Road, bringing down power poles and leaving thousands in the dark. Thursday, we found Memphis Light Gas and Water crews working on utility poles, tree cutters trimming in the area.
Stephanie Rands says inside her home is just like outside — a sweltering 90 degrees and above.
“Like a sauna. It’s really hot, especially having two puppies,” she said. “Kept taking cold showers and laying back in bed and putting wet cold clothes on the pups.”
Rands says generators were sold out in Shelby County so she had to purchase one in the Nashville area.
She’s now breathing a sigh of relief as linemen work to fully restore her power.
“Right now they are repairing the lines that fell in our back yard and they said we will have temporary help tonight … and hopefully after tomorrow they can come install whatever they need to do,” she said.
One MLGW customer, Charlene Ross, says she is frustrated and fed up after crews came to her home but said they couldn’t work until her landlords remove the giant tree that fell on her house.
“I just figured as a human, somebody would care you know, but I don’t know what else to say or do,” Ross said.
Ross said on Tuesday night a tree fell knocking out power at her home and several houses nearby. She called the owner of her rental property but they are awaiting estimates for tree cutters, meaning it could be another three days before the tree is removed and even longer before MLGW restores her power.
“I don’t know what else to do and I’m telling them we don’t have nowhere else to go let alone can’t get our car out the garage because of the way it came down or whatever,” Ross said. “But I don’t know. I just ain’t never seen nothing like that.”
In the meantime, she says she’s struggling with her grandchildren and disabled brother in her care and all of their food has spoiled.
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