The Commercial Appeal

Overnight storms have knocked out power to thousands of Memphians. Here's what we know so far.

How many people are without power?

Memphis Light, Gas and Water, the city's utility provider, says about 188,000 people were initially without power. That figure was down to about about 140,000 by mid-afternoon Sunday.

When will the power come back on?

According to MLGW, it could take up to a week to fully restore power. The utility said 40 outside crews are coming in to assist with "one of the largest outage events in Shelby County history." No extact estimates are available for when power will be restored yet, MLGW said.

Where is the power out?

On Facebook, MLGW shared a heat map of where outages were occurring.

What can I do?

Because of problems with the phone line, MLGW is asking customers to call 1-800-268-8648 to report outages. You can also direct message the utility on Twitter: @MLGW. MLGW also offers the following guide that explains their power restoration process:

MLGW Storm Prep Guide | Water | Emergency Management

Some safety tips from the Red Cross for power outages:

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.

Turn off and unplug all unnecessary electrical equipment.

Never use a generator indoors.

What if I need help?

If your home was damaged in the storm and you need assistance or a safe place to stay, contact the Red Cross at 901-726-1690 or 877-253-4334, or go to the Orange Mound Community Center at 2572 Park Ave., where an emergency shelter has been set up. MATA is running on its normal Sunday schedule.

How bad is the damage?

In a word, bad. No deaths or injuries have been reported, but hundreds of trees were knocked down across the city, the Tom Lee memorial was toppled in its namesake park, and the Memphis Office of Emergency Management reported a partially collapsed building and gas leak on Harbor Town.