Collierville residents with no power as temperatures plunge

COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. — As Arctic air settles into the Mid-South, some people have had to brave the frigid temperatures without power.

At one point, power was knocked out for some 6,200 MLGW customers after high winds blew through the area last night.

“It’s very cold,” said Collierville resident Adriana Plaza.

Plaza said she was without power since Sunday night, around 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Thousands affected by power outages across the Mid-South

“It was hard to wake up this morning with no lights, no reference of time, and everything so at least I had my watch,” said Plaza.

Her concern was looking ahead to the rest of the day.

“And now I was thinking how can I manage lunch for all the kids? Everybody is at home,” said Plaza. “We are very dependent on electricity.”

“I’m very concerned because we know the temperatures are going to drop tonight. So far so good, but you know after 24 hours and you know we have food in the fridge,” said Plaza.

Memphis warming center opens Monday evening

A few houses down, other families with no power are also thinking about spoiled food.

Murmalla Mani said her family was getting ready to prepare for a large New Year’s Eve meal.

“We don’t know what will happen,” said Murmalla Mani, another Collierville resident.

Some families had to leave the home because it was simply too cold.

“My granddaughter is only five months old,” said another Mani. “It’s a bit warm here.”

“We are from India so we are a bit shocked that even in USA also, there wouldn’t be power. We never imagined it would be like this here,” said Mani.

According to the MLGW map shows power has been restored to that neighborhood.

WREG reached out to MLGW about possible causes for the outages we saw throughout the area. So far, we are waiting to hear back.

MLGW said in a statement, “Last night, the National Weather Service reported wind speeds of 51 mph in Memphis and the surrounding area. High winds caused a tree to fall across the utility lines at East Shelby Drive, resulting in power outages in that area. Crews responded, replacing a pole and five crossarms.”

The utility company advises covering foundation vents and closing off vents and doors to seldom-used rooms. Also, keep curtains and blinds closed at night and on cloudy days, open them on sunny days to let in warmth. For more tips, click here.

Customers can view the MLGW power outage map here.

MLGW power outage map

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