Be Prepared: Winter Weather Can Bring Outages
Report Outages by calling Blue Ridge Electric’s PowerLine: 1-800-448-2383
Lenoir, North Carolina (December 17, 2009) – Severe winter weather predicted for our area can bring about conditions that damage power lines or poles and lead to outages.
Officials with Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation are monitoring weather conditions and line technician crews and customer service staff are on stand-by in preparation to respond at any time of the day or night should power outages occur. Blue Ridge Electric is prepared to follow a power restoration plan to help get the power back on as quickly as possible when outages occur.
The cooperative encourages residents to think safety and be prepared for winter weather and the possibility of outages. The cooperative offers the following tips for members to be prepared and keep safe and as comfortable as possible during a power outage:
Keep an emergency kit with the following supplies on hand:
- A 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 and dangerous carbon dioxide fumes.
- If you have a baby in the home, be sure to have a thermos handy for keeping baby formula warm. Also have extra baby items such as diapers and formula in your home.
- Keep handy 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 calling your local Blue Ridge Electric office or the cooperative’s automated PowerLine at 1-800-448-2383.
- Keep warm by 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. Members may also check current outage status by clicking on the Outage Map icon at the bottom right hand corner of each web page.
Blue Ridge Electric serves some 73,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties as well as parts of Wilkes, Alexander, and Avery counties.
