I know most of you are still without power. Hang in there, folks. If you are able to get access to the internet, I'm hoping this post will give you some helpful updates in the aftermath of wind and rain storms that struck Memphis late on Saturday night, May 27, 2017. Read more about the storm on the Memphis Weather blog here.

MLGW published this power restoration update today. TL;DR: 59K people still don't have power, they're working on it, it could take up to a week, call 1-800-268-8648 to report your outage. Definitely call periodically if you don't have power so they have the most up-to-date info.

There is an emergency shelter at the Orange Mound Community Center. Call 901-726-1690 for Mid-South Red Cross and more info on the shelter and transportation information.

If you need to board pets overnight (if, for example, you're staying in a hotel that won't accept a big pet), all The Pet Hospitals locations except midtown are open and have power.

Free Attractions!
To help with families who need cool places to hang out while waiting for power restoration, the following Memphis attractions offering free entry/discounts:

- Pink Palace is free on Tuesday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Lichterman Nature Center is free on Tuesday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Memphis Botanic Garden is free on Tuesday and Wednesday

- The Brooks Museum is free on Wednesday 10  a.m. to 8 p.m.

What's Open/Closed (as of 2 p.m.) Please call ahead, this is only general information.

- Most of the restaurants and coffee shops in Cooper Young are open.
- The rest of Midtown is hit or miss.
- Highland Strip and Broad Ave. restaurants are mostly open. U of M has power.
-Poplar Plaza and High Point area is still without power, though I hear Cheffie's, High Point grocery, HIgh Point Pizza is open.
- All Malco theaters besides Studio on the Square are open.
- Most of East Memphis businesses along Poplar Ave. are open. Streets off of Poplar are hit or miss.
- Downtown seems spotty, but I've heard that many places on South Main are open.
- Overton Square is still closed.
- Frayser still has heavy tree damage and little/no power.
- Whitehaven still has tree damage and no power.

Choose 901 has a list of individual places that were open this weekend, might be a good starting point.

Places With Power To Visit (please make purchases and tip)

- Bass Pro Pyramid
- Peabody Hotel lobby bar
- Memphis Central Library
- Rec Room
- IKEA (they may have chargers)
- Main Event Entertainment
- Golf & Games Family Entertainment
- Memphis Zoo (some parts are closed)

Also,  here's this:

I've been getting a lot of questions about how @MLGW decides which neighborhoods to work on first.

Here's how they restore power: pic.twitter.com/MLYgTutuCn

— Nina Harrelson 🎥 (@NinaHarrelsonTV) May 29, 2017

How To Stay Updated

As usual, social media, especially Twitter is going to be a great source for news updates. I'd follow:
MLGW on Facebook or Twitter
City of Memphis on Facebook or Twitter
Mayor of Memphis on Facebook or Twitter
Photojournalist Joyce Peterson on Twitter

I'll be retweeting any important information via I Love Memphis on Twitter, too.  If yore a business that's open and offering charging stations or other discounts/amenities, Tweet at me at @ilovememphis or comment on this post and I'll share.

Incredible sunsets always follow the worst storms. The shattered Tom Lee Memorial, just like parts of Memphis, can be rebuilt. #memsunset pic.twitter.com/nCIXXsbHxL

— Joyce Peterson (@MemphoNewsLady) May 30, 2017