Outage Safety Tips and Information

During a Storm or Outage

  • Limit the number of times you open your fridge and freezer. Food can keep up to 24 hours in the fridge and 48 hours in the freezer if the doors remain closed.
  • If possible, turn off your air conditioning, heating systems and sensitive electronics to avoid damage from power surges.
  • Dress comfortably and leave your home if it's too hot or cold.
  • Do not leave candles or oil lamps unattended and keep them way from furniture, window treatments and other flammable materials.
  • Do not use a gas or charcoal grill indoors to cook food or warm the residence. 
  • Stay indoors and away from windows during storms. If you hear warning signals, take cover immediately.
  • If it is a cold-weather storm, turn off the water supply to your house and, starting at the top of the house, open all faucets and flush the toilets to train water from your plumbing system to help reduce the chance of frozen pipes.

 

After a storm or Outage

  • If you see a downed power line, please report it and stay at least 35 feet away. Consider all lines to be energized.
  • Make sure children understand the danger of power lines, especially downed lines. Keep all pets and children away from downed lines.
  • Inspect all food and throw out food that has been exposed to temperatures greater than 40oF for at least two hours. Never taste food too see if it is safe.
  • During storms, vegetation and debris can get into power lines. Carefully inspect your surroundings before doing storm clean up.
  • If you are in a vehicle and a line falls on your car, do not leave the vehicle. Immediately call 911. Alert others not to come near the vehicle. If the car is on fire, jump out, with both feet together, and get well clear of the vehicle. Do not reach back into the vehicle or touch it.

 

Outage Preparation

Mother Nature is unpredictable. We never know when an outage may occur and it is best to be prepared.

  • If you have special medial needs, consider establishing an emergency plan. This could be staying at a friend or relative's house or install and alternative power supply, such as a generator. Please visit our generator page for additional resources.
  • Consider preparing an emergency kit to have on hand if an outage occurs. Some examples of items to include are:
    • Batteries
    • Flashlights
    • Portable charger
    • Portable radio
    • Non-perishable food items, such as beef jerky, peanut butter, crackers and granola bars
  • Keep a supply of bottled water and canned foods on hand.
  • Have extra blankets on hand in event of a winter storm.
  • If you have a water well and a storm is predicted, fill bathtubs with water to flush toilets and other uses.

 

Planned Outages

Occasionally we will plan outages on our system to allow our crews to safely make repairs on our system. This video explains why we plan outages and how the repairs increase system reliability.

Generator Safety