Blue Ridge Monitoring Weather and Prepared to Respond
Member Tip: How to Report an Outage
Contact: Renee Whitener, Director of Public Relations, Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, (828) 758-2383, Ext. 3213; or E-mail: Renee Whitener
Lenoir, North Carolina (January 19, 2009) – Employees at Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, which serves Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Alexander, Wilkes and Caldwell counties, is on high alert due to the current severe winter weather forecast. Line technicians, operations personnel, and member service representatives will be on call as needed, ready to respond to outages at any time of the night or day.
The cooperative’s work management center, which monitors the computerized equipment of the electric plant system including substations and power load, is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The cooperative urges members to be prepared for severe winter weather with the following tips.
Disruptions in electric service can occur due to ice or heavy snow pulling down power lines or car accidents involving power poles. The fastest way to report an outage to Blue Ridge Electric is by calling Powerline, the cooperative’s automated outage reporting and account information system, at 1-800-448-2383. Have your account number, address, and telephone number of the affected location nearby.
Stay safe and comfortable during a power outage by preparing ahead of time. If someone in your household is on oxygen or other life support equipment, have a contingency plan that includes battery back-up for equipment and a safe place to re-locate such as your local emergency management center if needed.
Always keep the following emergency supplies on hand:
- Flashlight
- Radio (to listen to weather updates and local news for outage restoration efforts)
- Fresh batteries for the radio and flashlight and other needs
- Charcoal or propane grill with charcoal and lighter or a supply of propane
- A supply of food that doesn’t require cooking or refrigeration such as nuts, granola bars, dried fruits, etc.
- Manual can opener
- Extra blankets, sleeping bags, quilts
- Wind-up or battery operated clock
- Paper plates and plastic utensils
- Gallon jugs filled with water for drinking and cooking. These also come in handy if you use a well for your water supply.
- Formula and extra diapers for babies
- Thermos for keeping drinks and baby formula warm
- First aid supplies
- Extra medications you take regularly
Blue Ridge Electric is a member-owned cooperative electric utility serving some 73,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, and Alexander counties. Find more information at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com.
