MEMPHIS, Tenn. — MLGW is working with city officials and MATA to provide relief from the heat, especially for the thousands of customers haven’t had power since Saturday.
But that relief can’t come soon enough for one woman who says her house is the only one on her Whitehaven block that’s still affected.
According to MLGW, they restored her electricity Sunday but she still has to have a licensed electrician install a new weatherhead. MLGW stressed that step is up to homeowners to complete on their own.
Doris Warfield showed us where a tree fell Saturday morning, snapping her power line and cutting off electricity to her Whitehaven home that she shares with her mother Ruby.
“We were hit by a big storm. I was standing there in the door,” she said. “It toppled on to the two storage rooms.”
Despite it all, the Warfield’s are making the best of it.
“I’m doing pretty good now. I’m breathing all right,” her mother said.
Her daughter said their home insurance offered to get them a hotel, but her 83-year-old mother didn’t want to leave.
Instead, they take shifts looking after her at home, and on Tuesday, the tree clearing company lent them a generator to run a fun inside.
“My mom uses oxygen. She’s been using her portable pack that doesn’t last very long,” Doris Warfield said.
It felt like a double whammy; she’s still recovering from losing her power in 2017 in the Tom Lee Storm.
“I spent a lot of money on trying to keep cool by drinking Gatorade, water and buying food. We had to buy breakfast, lunch and dinner at that time.” she said. “I hope it won’t be for nine days this time.”
MLGW officials said they had restored power to more than 30,000 households since last weekend.
But officials said many homeowners learned the tough lesson: they have to replace the weatherhead themselves.
That means they have to call an electrician and get it installed before the power will work.