SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Wednesday morning's windy weather has left hundreds of Michiana residents without power along with reports of downed trees.

We'll be updating outage numbers throughout the day.

You can also keep track of state and county outage numbers on the United States Power Outage Map.

I&M customers can keep track of outages on the company's site.

The below numbers are accurate as of 9:25 p.m., Wednesday.

INDIANA:

• Elkhart County - 11
• Fulton County - 0
• LaGrange County - 0
• Marshall County - 0
• Pulaski County - 0
• St. Joseph County - 1
• Starke County - 0
• La Porte County - 309
• Kosciusko County - 0
• Starke County - 0

MICHIGAN:

• Berrien County - 145
• Cass County - 37

ABC57 spoke with Schnee Doyle, spokesperson for Indiana Michigan Power, about how they are preparing for both wind and wintry conditions in Michiana.

Doyle says wind and winter weather contribute to outages.

"If we get these strong wind gusts, you know, they could knock our the trees into power lines or into our electrical equipment, which could then cause a power outage, as well as the snow. If it is the heavy, wet snow that can then weigh on tree branches and cause them to fall into the power lines. And then also, road conditions play a big factor in outages, especially if a car leaves the roadway and hits a power pole. Normally, that is a lengthy repair and that will contribute to power outages for customers," said Doyle.

Doyle says she knows customers depend on I&M, and crews are ready to respond and restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

"In addition to that, we also work year-round to improve reliability and reduce outages for our customers, and we do that by replacing aging power poles and power lines. We use our smart meter data to identify potential issues before they cause an outage, and we also proactively trim trees and branches that can cause damage to power lines, especially during winter weather," said Doyle.

Here's how she says customers can be prepared.

"Now is a perfect time for you to be prepared. So make sure that your phones are charged. You have an emergency kit in your house if you do lose power, you know it's important to grab, make sure you have batteries, water and any medications that you need on hand, and make sure that you have a plan in place if you do need to leave your home if you do lose power," said Doyle.

Additionally, Doyle explains what to do if you encounter a downed line.

"If you do see any downed power line or any electrical hazard and your neighborhood or near your house, we encourage you to stay as far away from that downed line as you possibly can in anything it may be touching, including metal fences or in standing water, because the electrical currents from that power line can run through fences and through water, causing electrocution," said Doyle. "So, if you see any down power lines, stay away and report them to I&M or to your local police department as soon as you can. We also urge the general public, if you see our crews working in your neighborhood to restore power, please do not approach them. That's for your safety and for the safety of our workers. You know, they are working with electricity, which is very dangerous, so it's best to stay as far away from them as possible as well."