STEPHANIE SCURLOCK AND I'M BREAKERS THE OTHER BIG STORY TONIGHT IS THE WEATHER A TROPICAL STORM THAT COULD TURN INTO A HURRICANE IS BEARING DOWN ON THE GULF COAST AND IT COULD >> BRING SIGNIFICANT RAIN TO OUR AREA LATER THIS WEEK TYLER WILL SHOW US WHAT TO EXPECT IN A FEW MINUTES BUT FIRST LET'S GET TO W IT SHAY ARTHUR HAS BEEN TALKING WITH MLG AND W ABOUT ITS EFFORTS TO KEEP YOUR LIGHTS ON OR THEY BATTLE READY NOW SHEA >> HEY GREG CASE AT THE QUESTION EVERYONE'S ASKING WE CERTAINLY ASKED AND PRESIDENT TODAY HE SAYS THAT THEIR CREWS THEIR TEAMS THEY'VE ALL BEEN PUT ON STANDBY SO THEY ARE READY TO GO WHEN FRANCINE HITS IN THE COMPANY THEY'VE ALSO MADE SOME OTHER CHANGES SIGNIFICANT TREE TRIMMING THAT WILL HOPEFULLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHEN THE STORM HITS >> TONIGHT PREPARING FOR A POTENTIALLY MAJOR STORE THE BENEFIT WE HAVE FOR THE STORMS WE COULD SEE IT COMING IN WE CAN TRACK ITS PROGRESS AND SO WE CAN BE BETTER PREPARED WHILE THE RECENT WEATHER HAS BEEN MILD MLGW PRESIDENT ALLEN SAYS HIS COMPANY HAS MADE INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE ALSO COMPLETED MORE THAN 1600 MILES OF TREE TRIMMING THROUGHOUT THE AREA SAYING THAT'S MORE THAN 118% OF THE ORIGINAL GOAL THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS AS THEY CAN >> THEY WERE TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF SCHEDULE SO THAT'S VERY GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF OUR CUSTOMERS BUT WARNS NO MATTER HOW MANY PREVENTATIVE MEASURES ARE TAKEN POWER OUTAGES CAN HAPPEN THE UNFORTUNATE PART IS WITH A VERY HEAVY RAINS AND THE SATURATED GROUNDS AND THE GUSTY WINDS BUT CAN'T PREVENT VERY LARGE TREES AND VERY LARGE LIMBS FROM EVENTUALLY COMING DOWN IT REALLY TRIM BACK 10 TO 15 FEET FROM THE LINE GIVING A WARNING IF A TALL TREE IS IMPACTED BY THE WIND IT COULD STILL LAND ON A LINE KNOCKING OUT POWER WE ARE PLANNING FOR THE WORST AND HOPING FOR THE BEST 70 GREG HE'S ALSO ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO HAVE EXTRA WATER AND NON-PERISHABLE FOODS IF THOSE OUTAGES >> DO HAPPEN THEY ALSO HAVE A LINE CREWS AND TREE CREWS ON STANDBY READY TO GO AS WELL FOR YOUR NEWS LEADER LIVE DOWNTOWN TONIGHT SHAY ARTHUR WRE G NE