A dangerous combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow made roads treacherous and knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of people in the Tri-State. WNIN’s John Gibson has more:
The ice snapped countless tree limbs, brought down entire trees, and knocked down numerous power lines.
As of Monday morning, CenterPoint reported just under 50,000 customers without electricity in southwest Indiana. That was down from more than 60,000.
The utility company says the winter storm caused “widespread damage” to its electrical system.
CenterPoint says it has deployed internal, contractor and mutual aid resources to assist with power restoration efforts.
The company reminds us that crews focus on repairs that restore power to the largest number of customers first, continuing until all customers have power restored.
The city of Evansville, Vanderburgh County, and many other communities have declared states of emergency and are urging residents to stay off the roads.
Almost every school system in the Tri-State cancelled classes Monday. It was a scheduled day off for students in the EVSC.
UE, USI, and Ivy Tech were also closed on Monday.
You can see a complete list of closings here.
The city of Evansville opened heating centers at Central High School, Lincoln Elementary School, and St. Benedict School on Monday.