Evansville, Ind. – Jan. 11, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy announced this afternoon that power has been restored to all customers who were impacted by Winter Storm Blair and can safely receive service. An expanded workforce of CenterPoint, contractors and mutual aid personnel worked around the clock since early Monday morning to repair damage and restore more than 61,000 customer outages caused by heavy ice accumulation, falling trees and limbs and broken poles and equipment.
While more than 99.9% of all customers who were impacted by Winter Storm Blair, and who could receive service, were restored by 10 p.m. Friday night, a handful of complex outages remained. That small number of customers have now been restored and 100% of customers impacted by Sunday's ice storm now have their power back on.
“We want to thank the entire community for their patience and support as we worked this winter storm. We understand how challenging it is to not have power at the coldest time of the year," said Shane Bradford, CenterPoint's Vice President, Indiana Electric. “The tireless work of our employees, contractors and mutual assistance crews has been remarkable. Their commitment to our customers and communities, paired with the support of local agencies and officials, allowed us to restore service safely and quickly. We are deeply grateful for everyone's efforts and support."
Restoring power to more than 61,000 customers
Winter Storm Blair caused the most significant damage to CenterPoint's southwestern Indiana service area in more than 15 years. Heavy ice and snow led to widespread outages impacting more than 61,000 customers. Starting Sunday, January 5, crews began addressing outages that rapidly escalated due to ice accumulation on power lines and falling tree limbs. Over the course of the week, teams worked to repair hundreds of downed lines, replace damaged poles and remove trees and debris.
By Tuesday evening, more than 50% of impacted customers had been restored, and by Wednesday night, more than 90% of customers were back online. Restoration efforts were bolstered by the arrival of additional resources, with over 1,000 personnel—including mutual aid and contractor crews—mobilized to assist in the effort. This significant response allowed the company to substantially complete restoration efforts 24 hours ahead of its initial projections.
Community support through collaboration
CenterPoint coordinated with local agencies to establish warming centers and shelters for residents impacted by the storm. Organizations including the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation, the Catholic Diocese of Evansville and the Southwest Chapter of the American Red Cross Indiana Region helped facilitate key locations offering shelter, snacks and bottled water to those in need.
The company also extends its gratitude to local elected officials, emergency management teams and first responders for their critical support during restoration efforts.
“Our ability to stage more than 1,000 personnel in Evansville relied heavily on traffic support from the Evansville Police Department and Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office," added Bradford. “Their coordination made it possible for crews to mobilize quickly and restore power."
