Strong Storms Cause Power and Broadband Outages

MLEC shares outage restoration update.

(May 9, 2024) — Hickman and Perry counties were the hardest hit Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative served areas during storms overnight. Approximately 1700 remain without power in those two counties. Crews have been in action since the early morning and continue to assess damage. With many roads blocked with trees, it will take time to fully evaluate the situation. Repairs are complete in Lewis, Houston and Humphreys County except for a few remote areas.

In Hickman County, MLEC has requested additional personnel and contract crews to assist with restoration efforts. The Beaverdam/Brushy/Aetna area seems to have the most severe damage. Some poles are down, and equipment has been stripped from standing poles during the storm. MLEC crews will utilize a dozier to access the area and begin repairs. Other locations with outages include Totty’s Bend, Coble, Shady Grove, Johnson’s Bend, Shipps Bend, Willow Springs, Cavendar’s Branch, portions of Swan Creek, Falls Branch, and Perry Bend.

In Perry County, the majority of outages are in areas such as Flatwoods, Highway 13 South, Jones Hollow in Lobelville, Red Bank and a few isolated areas.

MLConnect is aware of some broadband outages that require further investigation to troubleshoot areas not related to the power outages. MLEC and MLC will share an update on ongoing restoration efforts later today.

Please put safety first during outages and remember these pieces of information:

• If you do not have electric service, or know of someone who does not have electricity, please call your local office.  Have your phone number, address and name on the MLEC account ready. The call volume is high, so you may receive an automated message or busy signal. Email and social media are not linked to our outage management system, so these should not be used to report issues.
• If you or someone in your home uses special medical equipment, follow your emergency plan and make arrangements to be moved to a location that has electricity if necessary.
• Contact MLEC if you see power lines on the ground or caught in trees and do not try to move them. If touched, they could cause electrocution or serious injury.
• Use extreme caution when using a generator. If you own a generator, contact MLEC. A generator can send electricity back through electric lines and electrocute linemen or others involved in restoration efforts. See Generators – Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (mlec.com) for proper generator installation and use.
• Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible to retain the inside temperature.
• If the weatherhead at your home is torn down, an electrician will need to repair this before MLEC can restore power.
• If you are an MLConnect customer and power has returned but Internet has not, unplug the router from the power source for a few minutes instead of using the reset button. If this does not restore service, submit a ticket online at MLConnect – Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative (mlec.com) using the Tech Support tab. Or, call your local MLEC office; then press OPTION 3, then OPTION 2. Once power lines are back in service, broadband crews will begin repairing fiber.

Next update by 5 p.m.

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