Memphis Light Gas & Water predicts power should be restored to all customers by midnight Friday.
About 700 MLGW customers remained without power Friday morning as crews worked back-to-back shifts to restore services following a storm that moved through the area Wednesday evening. The storm knocked out power to about 54,000 MLGW customers.
MLGW brought in 28 additional power crews from Alabama, East Tennessee, and Kentucky to repair damaged equipment. Also, about 50 tree trimming crews are working to clear tree damage. Those crews whittled down the affected customers from about 11,000 Wednesday to 5,085 Thursday evening.
MLGW is still asking affected customers to call them to report any power outages at (901) 544-6500. Also, the utility recommends that anyone without power Friday should go to a cool location like a mall, library, or movie theater.
The city of Memphis has also set up temporary cooling centers at:
• Pipkin Building, 940 Early Maxwell (MidSouth Fairgrounds)
• Frayser Raleigh Senior Citizen Center, 3985 Egypt Central
• McWherther Senior Center, 1355 Estate Dr.
Next week, MLGW will begin the screening process to donate 90 window air conditioning units to qualified, low-income seniors and disabled residents of Shelby County.
Here’s are MLGW’s qualifications and processes for the “Play It Cool” program:
To qualify applicants must be a resident of Shelby County, a low income senior 60 years of age or older, and without operable air conditioning.
Once an individual is screened and pre-qualifies, a pre-qualification voucher will be issued to verify that the applicant has met the guidelines up to the field inspection. Field inspections will be conducted by MLGW to verify that the residence meets installation requirements.
Households are only eligible to receive an air conditioner once every three years from the MLGW Play It Cool Program.
To apply applicants will need the following credentials on hand:
• Tennessee state ID or drivers license to verify age and address.
• The most recent pay stub or Social Security Income statement to verify income.
Air conditioners will not be installed at addresses with operating units, or on residences with bars or storm windows. MLGW field inspections will begin in late May and the installation of units will be performed by MLGW employees starting in June.
Applicants for the “Play It Cool” Program may also contact the Neighborhood Christian Center’s hotline number at (901) 881-6013 for a pre-recorded message detailing the necessary qualifications and credentials for eligibility.
