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Some I&M customers in South Bend to be without electricity until late Monday

(Photo supplied/Matt Houser)

Around 1,500 Indiana Michigan Power are still without power after two rounds of severe weather pushed through Michiana on Saturday, June 26. That number is down from the more than 13,000 customers who were in the dark by late Saturday night. Most of the outages are in the South Bend area.

Estimated restoration times for the affected areas are:

  • Southwest Michigan – fully restored by 11 p.m. Sunday Night
  • Elkhart area – fully restored by 11 p.m. Sunday Night
  • South Bend area – fully restored by 11 p.m. Monday

The first round of storm moved through around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.  The second round moved through around 7:30 p.m. Both rounds produced Tornado Warnings and Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for the South Bend metro area, though there was no confirmation that a tornado actually touched down.

The wind speed exceeded 60 miles per hour in some spots.

A moderate risk of severe weather remained in the forecast for Sunday.

A majority of the power outages were reported in the South Bend area by 8:30 p.m.

Drivers are advised to treat any intersections where the lights are out as all-way stops.

Track Indiana Michigan Power outages HERE

Statement from Indiana Michigan Power:

Indiana Michigan Power will be working through the night Saturday/into Sunday morning to restore power as severe storms continue to roll through Michiana. Multiple rounds of heavy rain and strong wind gusts have disrupted service to customers in Indiana and Michigan – most of the affected customers are in the South Bend, Elkhart, Three Rivers and Buchanan areas.

I&M employees are working as quickly and as safely as possible, however, more rain and possible storms may hinder efforts and cause additional outages. Crews are responding to safety hazards such as fallen trees on power lines; checking substations; and assessing damage to other electrical equipment.

I&M recognizes a power outage is inconvenient for our customers and communities and we appreciate their patience as crews work safely to restore power. We will continue to provide updates with outage information and restoration estimates as work continues.

  • Stay away from any downed wires, especially given the wet conditions, as electricity can travel through water. Please report downed wires to I&M. You can contact I&M by calling 1-800-311-4634, report on our app or website, or call 911.
  • Be careful around debris and fences. Fallen limbs and other debris can hide downed power lines, and a downed line may be contacting a fence out of line of sight. Look around carefully.
  • Given the rain, the soil is very saturated. Trees could fall or drop limbs at any moment, please look up.
  • Traffic lights may not be functioning. Please use caution and be mindful of first responders and utility workers on the roadways.
  • I&M employees and contractors will be working alongside the road and in neighborhoods. We urge the public not to approach our crews.
  • If you use a generator, please follow all operating instructions from the manufacturer. Don’t use gas-powered generates in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces, like inside a garage or a home

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3 comments

Slacker06 June 27, 2021 at 11:24 am

Many of these persistent power outages are the result of poor maintenance of their infrastructure and trimming of trees along the lines by I & M. It does no good to make a huge solar array if the lines between it and users are cut by tree branches. Yet the people who pay the rate are constantly under pressure to pay more.

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Some I&M customers in South Bend are to be without electricity until late Monday June 27, 2021 at 3:54 pm

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Dorgot Manhat June 27, 2021 at 9:54 pm

FYI, Trees are not owned by the power company. Much of the problem could be eliminated if customers maintained their own property and also allow the trees close enough to the power lines to be trimmed by the power company tree contractors adequately without trying to sue them or calling tge authoritiesto kick them off the propert, all which happens on a daily basis. I have had the pleasure of the same moron telling me the tree trimming is too aggressive, then later in the year, complaining not enough tree trimming was being done. Also leave the boots on the ground alone when you finally see them. They did not create the bad weather and they don’t own the trees either. The longer you stop them to complain about everything and tell them everything wrong with the power company, the longer it will take for them to assess the problem and ultimately fix the problem. Get a generator and deal with it. Or go off the grid and good luck to you. Shit happens, man.

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