Residents of East Memphis experienced widespread power outages this week, with hundreds initially plunged into darkness yesterday due to a circuit outage. According to Action News 5, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) reported that nearly 2,000 customers were without electricity as of 10 p.m., a slight decrease from earlier in the evening. A spokesperson for the utility company indicated that the affected areas included homes and businesses along Poplar Avenue near East High School and the Central Library.
The outages were not confined to East Memphis, as more than 7,500 customers were left without power, with Hickory Hill and Southeast Shelby County hit particularly hard. Digging deeper into the night, a resilient raccoon reportedly found its way into electrical equipment, exacerbating the situation in Hickory Hill and leaving over 7,000 customers in the dark.
An official statement from MLGW shared by FOX13 Memphis urged customers to report outages via telephone or the MLGW My Account service, and provided a separate number for emergency situations such as downed power lines or gas leaks. The utility reassured the public that they were working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service to all customers affected.
While the majority of the power outages stemmed from the circuit outage, the raccoon-related incident was a separate ordeal confirmed by MLGW. In a statement relayed by WREG, the utility company acknowledged, “Last night’s outage in Southeast Memphis was caused by a raccoon that made contact with electrical equipment. While MLGW has animal mitigation measures in place, they aren’t 100% critter-proof. Crews quickly responded, and power was fully restored by 11:19 p.m.”
MLGW has been actively addressing the restoration process, and the utility company is urging any customers who are still without power to either call or utilize online reporting tools. With crews having been on-site to tackle the initial circuit issue and the raccoon debacle now resolved, customers across Memphis can hope for continued vigilance from their power provider to prevent future unwelcome surprises and outages.
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