Tips for Preparing for Severe Weather Offered

For Immediate Release

Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Corporate Communications, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener

Lenoir, North Carolina (February 11, 2004) – With weather predictions calling for snow accumulations over the night and Thursday morning, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation is on alert status.

In preparation for the severe winter weather warning, line crews and technical staff are double-checking equipment and supplies, and are topping off their truck’s gas tanks in the event severe weather leads to outages. If an outage occurs, members should report it by calling Blue Ridge Electric’s automated outage reporting system, Powerline, at 1-800-448-2383.

Fallen power lines can also result from severe weather, especially if icing occurs on power lines. Vehicles skidding and colliding into power poles can also cause downed power lines. The public is advised to stay away from downed power lines because they can still be energized. Coming into contact with an energized line could produce a serious injury or even death. Members should report downed power lines by calling Blue Ridge Electric.

Blue Ridge Electric offers members the following emergency planning tips:

Keep the following emergency supplies on hand:

A battery operated radio and fresh batteries for the latest weather and power restoration updates
Flashlights, along with extra batteries
Water for drinking and cooking. If you have a well, you should also fill your tub with water for flushing toilets.
Nonperishable food
Manual can opener
Wind-up or battery operated clock
Extra blankets, sleeping bags, quilts
Paper plates, cups, and utensils
A grill for cooking (along with extra charcoal and lighter, or propane, depending on your grill). Be sure to use the grill, as well as gas stoves, outside your home in a well-ventilated area to avoid a fire hazard or dangerous fumes of carbon monoxide!!
If you have a baby in the home, be sure to keep a thermos handy for keeping baby formula warm. Also have extra diapers and formula on hand.

If your power is interrupted, you should:

Report the outage by calling PowerLine at 1-800-448-2383 or contacting your local Blue Ridge Electric office
Keep warm by layering your cloths and using blankets
Preserve heat by closing off any unused rooms in your house.
Guard against spoiled food by refraining from opening your refrigerator or freezer door
Prevent a hazardous situation by making sure your range and oven are turned off.
If you use a portable generator, prevent a fatality or injury by making sure generators are safely connected. Back-feed into the utility system from improperly installed generators can harm or even kill a line technician who is working on power restoration. Improperly installed generators can also damage your appliances. Be sure a qualified, licensed electrician installs a double-pole, double-throw transfer switch to connect the generator to the electrical system. This is required by the National Electrical Code, and the generator connection must also meet local ordinances. Contact a licensed electrician for more information.

Blue Ridge Electric serves over 66,000 members in northwest North Carolina. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, provides propane and heating fuels from offices in Lenoir, Hickory, Boone, and West Jefferson.