More than 31,000 Indiana Michigan Power customers remained without electricity as of 5 p.m. Friday following severe storms that caused widespread damage across northern Indiana and southwest Michigan.
The utility reported approximately 31,231 customers were still without power, down from a peak of about 62,000 outages. More than half of the affected customers have already had service restored.
Indiana Michigan Power said 1,139 workers are currently engaged in restoration efforts, including more than 710 workers from neighboring utilities. An additional 875 workers are expected to arrive to assist with repairs.
Crews continue to face significant challenges, particularly in northern portions of the service territory, where extensive tree damage has blocked access to damaged equipment and slowed restoration efforts. The utility is using drones and helicopters to assess damage in areas that are difficult to reach by ground.
The largest concentration of outages remains in Elkhart County, where 21,617 customers were still without power Friday afternoon. Other outage totals include 4,572 customers in the South Bend area, 1,460 in Muncie, 1,110 in Fort Wayne, and 802 in Marion. In southwest Michigan, 1,627 customers remained without service, including 1,573 in the Three Rivers area.
Indiana Michigan Power has established estimated restoration times for most customers. Service is expected to be restored by 11 p.m. Friday in Benton Harbor, Buchanan, Fort Wayne, Muncie, Marion, and portions of Elkhart County along the State Road 33 corridor and north to County Road 18.
Customers in the Three Rivers area are expected to have power restored by 6 p.m. Saturday. Additional Elkhart County customers whose service is not restored Friday evening are expected to have electricity returned by 11 p.m. Saturday.
The utility is also urging customers to inspect their homes for damage that could prevent power from being safely restored. If a home’s service entrance or other customer-owned electrical equipment has been damaged, repairs must be completed by a licensed electrician before service can be reconnected.
Indiana Michigan Power said crews will continue working around the clock until all customers are restored.
