Extended Outages Expected Following Severe Ice Storm
Updated Monday, January 26 at 8:30 a.m.
Situation Update
CEMC crews are responding to widespread damage across our service area following this severe ice storm. There are currently about 22,000 members without power, down from our peak this afternoon of over 35,000. Due to the extent of tree damage and broken electrical equipment, we are expecting this to be a multi-day restoration event.
While our crews are working to restore service as quickly and safely as possible, members should prepare for the possibility of being without power for potentially days in some areas. If you currently do not have power, it is very important that you make necessary preparations or arrangements to be without electricity for days. If needed, consider reaching out to friends or family who have power, checking on neighbors, or locating a warming shelter in your area. Safety and staying warm are the top priorities during extended outages.
Damage Assessment
Ice accumulation has caused trees, limbs, and debris to fall onto power lines, poles, and other equipment. In many locations, crews cannot begin electrical repairs until trees and debris are safely cleared. As of Monday morning, over 1,200 individual outage locations must be repaired, many of which require physical clearing before power restoration work can begin.
While outages are still scattered throughout our territory, the most severe and widespread damage is concentrated in the eastern half of our service area, particularly in Robertson and Sumner counties. Restoration is expected to take the longest in these areas due to the sheer volume and severity of damage that must be repaired. If you live in these areas and you are currently without power, please prepare for the possibility of being without electricity for an extended period of time, potentially days.
Additional Crews are Assisting
To support restoration efforts, multiple outside line crews are arriving today and tomorrow, with additional crews requested through statewide mutual aid channels. We currently have over 500 personnel working on restoration, including over 200 contract crew members with more on the way and expected to arrive Monday afternoon. These crews are assisting alongside CEMC lineworkers to assess damage, clear hazards, and begin repairs as conditions allow.
As crews complete work in their assigned districts, they will continue moving toward areas with the heaviest damage. Restoration work is taking place in extremely dangerous conditions. Falling trees, ice-covered equipment, and unstable ground present serious safety risks.
Restoration Process
At this stage of restoration, crews are focused on repairing transmission and main distribution lines. These larger lines must be repaired first before crews can safely restore power to neighborhoods and individual homes. We are also aware that in some cases, a neighbor’s power may be restored while another nearby location remains without service. This can happen due to how the electric system is designed and how repairs must be completed in sequence. If you are still without power, please know that you have not been forgotten.
Outage Reporting
Members may experience difficulty reporting outages due to heavy system demand. While our Outage Map is currently back online, our text message alert/outage reporting system is currently down. We are aware of these issues and are actively working to stabilize outage reporting tools. If you have already reported your outage, additional reports are not necessary unless conditions change, such as a downed power line or a new safety hazard. Most outages are automatically detected by our system, so even if you think your report did not go through, our crews are already most likely aware of the outage.
For the safety of members and employees, CEMC office locations will be closed Monday, January 26. Crews will still be working on restoration even though our offices will be closed. Representatives will remain available to assist members by phone at (800) 987-2362.
We understand how difficult and disruptive extended outages can be, especially during extreme cold. CEMC crews and our mutual aid partners are working as quickly and safely as possible, and restoration efforts will continue until every member has power restored.
Additional information and answers to common questions are provided below:
You can report an outage by calling (800) 987-2362, or online via SmartHub. Please do not report outages via social media as our social media platforms are not tied to our outage system.
DO NOT call 911 to report a power outage. Emergency lines need to remain open for true, life-threatening emergencies.
During widespread outages, crews follow a prioritized restoration process designed to restore power to the greatest number of members as quickly and as safely as possible. This approach helps stabilize the electric system before individual locations can be brought back online.
Restoration typically begins with critical facilities such as hospitals, emergency services, and water systems. Crews then focus on repairing major transmission and distribution lines that serve large portions of the system. Once those larger repairs are completed, crews can move into neighborhoods and address individual outages.
While this means some locations may be restored sooner than others, this process allows crews to safely bring power back to the largest number of members in the shortest amount of time.
At this time, we are not able to provide an estimated restoration time for individual locations. This event involves widespread outages across our entire service area, with thousands of members affected across five counties, extensive ice damage, and nearly 1,300 separate outage locations (and counting) that must be repaired.
Restoration depends on many factors, including the amount of tree damage, access to equipment, weather conditions, and the order in which repairs must be made. Crews are working throughout the CEMC service territory to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible, and progress will continue as conditions allow.
Due to the high volume of outages, some members may experience difficulty reporting outages by phone, text, or through SmartHub. Please know that even if you are unable to submit a report, our system automatically detects the vast majority of outages on our lines, and crews are likely already aware of the issue.
Our teams are actively working to restore service as quickly and safely as possible. If you have already attempted to report your outage, no further action is needed unless you observe a new safety concern, such as a downed power line.
In some cases, power may be temporarily restored while crews are making repairs, then go back off if additional damage is discovered or if another tree or line issue occurs. Ice-related damage can be progressive, meaning problems may continue to develop even after initial repairs are made.
If your power goes back out, our system will often detect the outage automatically, but you may report it again if needed.
If you receive a restoration message but your power is still out, you can re-report your outage by calling (800) 987-2362 or reporting it online via SmartHub. Our system automatically detects most outages, but this can help ensure that yours is not missed.
During large restoration events, lines may be briefly re-energized as part of the repair process, or power may be lost again due to additional storm damage. If you are unsure whether your outage has been properly recorded, submitting another report helps ensure your location is accurately reflected.
DO NOT approach a downed power line, broken pole, or damaged equipment. Always assume any downed power line or damaged electrical equipment is energized and dangerous. Stay far away and do not touch the line or anything in contact with it, including trees, fences, or vehicles.
If you encounter a downed power line, broken pole, or other damaged electrical equipment, report it immediately by calling 911 or contacting CEMC. If the situation is an immediate emergency, call 911 first.
For your safety and the safety of others, keep people and pets away from the area until crews arrive.
We are aware of these issues and are working to get these fixed as quickly as possible. While our Outage Map is currently back online, our text alert and reporting system is currently down.
Please know that even if the Outage Map or text alert system is down, our system automatically detects virtually all outages and makes our crews aware. We apologize for the inconvenience and are trying to get these systems back online.
The colored dots on the map indicate power outage incidents, not necessarily individual members. Each color represents the number of members affected by each outage (see map legend below).
For example, a purple dot indicates a single member outage (example below). The larger colored dots represent single outage incidents that affect more than one member.
Therefore, if you do not see a purple dot over your address on the map, you are more than likely affected by a larger outage (example below), indicated by a different colored, larger dot in an approximate area on the map.
