Varying versions of two questions – When will my power be back on? Will the schools be open tomorrow? – controlled the narrative for many throughout the daylight hours on Monday and into the evening as the recovery from last week’s winter storm inched onward.
By 6 p.m., the answer to the schools-open question had been delivered by Memphis Shelby County Schools (MSCS), which kept all schools closed on Monday due to ongoing Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) power outages and “an abundance of caution” for the safety of students, educators and families.
“The majority of schools will be open tomorrow, Tuesday, February 8,” MSCS posted on its Twitter outlet. “At this time, 96% of schools have power while 4% (seven schools) are still experiencing storm-related challenges. Our goal is to get all students back into the classroom while prioritizing safety.”
Those seven schools are: Avon Lennon and East high; Grandview Heights Middle; and Evans, Lucie E. Campbell, Sharpe and White Station elementaries.
During an online news conference Monday, MLGW CEO J.T. Young said the utility hopes to have electricity restored to those without power during the storm by the end of this week.
“If you are out and, especially out in an area that has been affected with multiple tree damage, you can expect to be (without power) another several days, possibly,” Young said.
“And, we have seen … some restoration occur and go out again due to the nature of what’s happening to the ice on these trees.”
At the height of the Feb. 3 storm and its aftermath, 272,000 customers were left without power at some point, MLG&W officials said.
Freezing rain and sleet led to ice accumulation on streets and trees, which sagged and dropped limbs on power lines. Entire trees also came down, also causing damage to power poles and electric lines and blocking streets. City crews have removed more than 400 fallen trees from streets, city officials said.
The power-outage uncertainty turned MLGW’s online outage map into must-see online viewing for many as repair crews worked 16-hour shifts. As of 8:20 p.m., 56,764 customers still were without power from 4,330 outages.
Alonzo Weaver, MLGW senior vice president and chief operating officer, said there was a lot of restoration work yet to be done.
“It (power restoration) is not targeted at any particular neighborhood first or anything like that. It is based on the circuits and the number of customers we can get on for the amount of effort we put forth,” he said.
“We start with circuits first. That’s where you will see the greatest number of customers come on and that’s throughout our service area.”
The winter storm has given way to sunny skies and temperatures projected to hit the low 60’s later this week. However, the loss of power has multiple tentacles, including food safety concerns.
“Practice food safety during prolonged power outages,” the Shelby County Health Department posted on one of its social media portals.
“If perishable food has been at temperatures over 40 degrees for more than 4 hours, throw it out. Never taste food to see if it’s safe to eat, that can cause foodborne illness. When in doubt, throw it out.”
Meanwhile across the city and county, many without power continued to lean upon family and friends as others extended their stay at hotels. Some hunkered down in their homes.
The City of Memphis’ Warming Center operation at Hickory Hill CC, which had operated continuously, closed at 7 Monday morning. The schedule called for its reopening at 7 p.m. and closing Tuesday at 7 a.m.
