Evansville, Ind. – April 5, 2024 – In the aftermath of at least four tornadoes, confirmed by the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., that struck CenterPoint Energy's Indiana Electric service territory, crews are in the final stages of efforts to restore power to the remaining impacted customers.
Damage from severe weather resulted in electric service interruptions peaking at nearly 24,000 CenterPoint Energy customers. At this time, 99% of customers in the region have power and crews have been able to safely restore power to nearly all impacted customers, with fewer than 300 customers without power as of 5 p.m. CT.
All remaining restorations for customers who are able to receive service are expected to be completed by tomorrow morning.
“We appreciate our customers' patience and understanding as this has been a difficult week for many," said Richard Leger, Senior Vice President, Indiana Electric at CenterPoint Energy. “These storms caused significant damage throughout our region and provided challenges for our crews throughout the restoration process. I want to extend a special thank you to these crews and contractors. Their expertise and dedication under challenging conditions have been instrumental to our efforts in restoring power. I am equally grateful for our restoration support teams, who have played an essential role in making sure our crews were taken care of, as well as executing other essential functions of our operations."
Leger added, “I also want to recognize the many emergency responders, elected officials, community members and volunteers who helped those in need after the devasting storms. When Mother Nature hits us with her worst, our communities always come together to show our very best."
Over the course of the company's response, CenterPoint Energy replaced approximately 200 poles, approximately 100 transformers, patrolled miles of lines, replaced and strung hundreds of spans of wire, and removed and trimmed vegetation.
Following the severe weather, CenterPoint Energy initiated an immediate and comprehensive response to assess and repair the widespread damage to its electric system. The damage from the severe weather events was significant, with severe vegetation damage, extensive debris, downed poles and lines. Restoration efforts throughout the week were further complicated by periodic high wind gusts that resulted in additional damage. Despite these challenges, crews worked tirelessly to make necessary repairs and restore power.
According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Paducah, KY, storms on April 2 produced peak winds of 115 miles an hour. Normally, the NWS can complete damage surveys in a single day. However, surveyors encountered so much widespread damage that it is taking longer than normal to complete the necessary surveying to determine the cause of the damage. NWS surveyors continued their assessment of southwestern Indiana Friday.
Some customers may still experience delays in power restoration, particularly if there has been damage to the weatherhead – the point of entry from the service drop to the home. If damaged, the customer will need to have a licensed electrician make necessary repairs before power can be restored. After repairs are completed, customers can call 800-227-1376 to request reconnection of service.
