Indiana Michigan Power is urging customers to be prepared for outages in this week’s blizzard. Spokesperson Corey Ohlenkamp tells us the utility is all hands on deck as it waits to respond to power disruptions caused by predicted wind gusts of 55 to 60 miles per hour.
“We’ve got every lineman that we’re able to bring in,” Ohlenkamp said. “We checked to see who’s available, who will be willing to come in voluntarily. A couple of folks have had to have their vacations moved around, which is unfortunate, but that comes with the territory. We knw what our job and our responsibility is, and that’s to make sure the lights stay on.”
Ohlenkamp says it’s I&M’s job to keep the lights on and that’s what the crews will work to do. However, he notes with blowing snow making travel difficult, some people may be without service longer than they would be in a summer storm. He urges them to be prepared.
“Having a Plan B on where you can go, knowing where your local warming station is if you happen to lose power for an extended amount of time. It’s not something you want to scramble to.”
I&M is preparing for the storm by lining up crews and support teams as well as mutual aid from other utilities if it becomes necessary. Ohlenkamp notes this storm will affect the company’s entire service area from Benton Harbor to Muncie, so I&M asks for patience. He also asks drivers to give plenty of room to crews working on the side of the road.
