Be Prepared: Severe Weather Can Bring Outages
For Immediate Release
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383 ext. 3213; Pager:1-800-471-1323; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (January 20, 2005) – While our area is known for its beautiful winter landscapes, severe winter weather can bring about conditions that lead to outages.
Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation is constantly monitoring weather conditions via satellite and crews are on stand-by in the event of outages. When severe weather is predicted, Blue Ridge Electric linemen are also double-checking equipment and supplies, and are prepared to follow a power restoration plan to help them restore power as quickly as possible.
Blue Ridge Electric encourages residents to think safety and be prepared for winter weather and the possibility of outages. The cooperative offers the following tips for keeping safe and comfortable this winter:
Keep an emergency kit with the following supplies on hand:
- Battery operated radio for the latest weather and power restoration updates.
- Flashlights
- Fresh batteries for the radio, flashlight and other needs
- Bottled water for drinking and cooking if you have a well
- 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). Be sure to use the grill outside your home to avoid a safety hazard or dangerous carbon dioxide fumes.
- If you have a baby in the home, be sure to keep a thermos handy for keeping baby formula warm. Also have extra baby items such as diapers and formula in your home.
- An emergency telephone list to contact police, fire department, emergency management office, or Blue Ridge Electric if needed. You may also want to have a traditional telephone on hand since cordless phones don’t work without power.
If power is interrupted, you should:
- Report the outage by contacting your local Blue Ridge Electric office or call the cooperative’s automated PowerLine at 1-800-448-2383.
- Keep warm by adding layering your clothes and using blankets.
- Preserve heat by closing any unused rooms in your house.
- Guard against spoiled food by refraining from opening your refrigerator or freezer door if the power goes off.
- Prevent a hazardous situation by making sure your range and oven are off if the power is interrupted. Never use the oven or range as a substitute heater.
- If you use a portable generator, prevent a hazardous situation 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 may working on restoring power. Improperly installed generators can also damage 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.
For more tips, visit www.BlueRidgeEMC.com. Blue Ridge Electric serves some 67,000 members in northwest North Carolina. Its subsidiary, Blue Ridge Energies, provides propane and heating fuels to residential and business customers from offices in Lenoir, Boone, West and Jefferson.
