Storm Checklist
If your lights go off during a storm, be prepared for the power outage. Have supplies on hand rather than rushing around when the storm is coming and waiting in long lines for necessities. Rotate your supplies to keep them fresh and use the following checklist to prepare yourself:
Have Plenty of Food
- Keep a 3- to 5-day supply of drinking water in plastic bottles. Plan on at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day.
- Store a manual can opener with enough nonperishable foods for 3 to 5 days. Canned meats, tuna fish and peanut butter are good foods to store. Don’t forget pet food!
- Conserve water by using paper plates and plastic utensils.
- Have a camp stove or grill for outdoor cooking.
- Stay In Touch
- Have a portable, battery-powered radio and alarm clock.
- If your cell phone goes dead, do you have a land-line phone that will work even without power?
- Plan where to meet and how to communicate with family members if separated.
- Keep essential contact information near your phone, in your wallet and in your glove compartment.
- Keep plenty of gas in your car.
- Keep extra batteries, matches, propane, charcoal and firewood.
- Stay happy, healthy and warm
- Coordinate with neighbors for care of the elderly and disabled living alone.
- Maintain a supply of prescriptions, nonprescription drugs, vitamins and special dietary foods.
- Playing cards, books, drawing/writing supplies and board games help pass the time.
- Keep sanitary and personal hygiene supplies replenished. Premoistened cleansing towelettes are useful and help conserve water.
- Use plastic trash bags and ties for garbage.
- Put first-aid kits in your home and car.
- Make sure you have cold-weather clothing, foul-weather gear, blankets and sleeping bags.
- Use flashlights and other battery-operated lighting instead of candles.
- Keep fire extinguishers fully charged.
- Fill your bathtub with water for bathroom use before the storm (if you have a well).
Power Line Safety
Accidentally contacting a power line can be dangerous and even deadly. Follow these safety tips.
Keep a safe distance
Whether you are playing outdoors with your children or working on landscaping projects, keep a safe distance from power lines and other equipment your co-op uses to deliver electricity to your home.
Always remember to:
- Stay away from power lines, meters, transformers and electrical boxes.
- Don’t climb trees near power lines.
- Never fly kites, remote control airplanes or balloons near power lines.
- If you get something stuck in a power line, call your electric co-op to get it.
- Keep a safe distance from power lines when working with ladders or installing antennas.
- Never touch or go near a downed power line.
- Don’t touch anything that may be touching a downed wire, such as a car.
- Keep children and pets away.
- If a power line falls on a car, stay inside the vehicle. This is the safest place to stay. Warn people not to touch the car or the line. Call or ask someone to call Federated and emergency services.
The only time you should leave a car in contact with a power line is when the vehicle catches fire. Open the door. Do not step out of the car. You may receive a shock. Instead, jump free of the car so that your body clears the vehicle before touching the ground. Once you clear the car, shuffle at least 50 feet away, with both feet on the ground.
Do not try to help someone else from the car while you are standing on the ground.
Electrical Safety and Generators
When power lines are down, residents can restore energy to their homes or other structures by using a portable generator. If it is necessary to use a portable generator, manufacturer recommendations must be strictly followed. If there are any questions regarding the operation or installation of the portable generator, a qualified electrician should be immediately contacted to assist. If water has been present anywhere near electrical circuits and electrical equipment, turn off the power at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. Do not turn the power back on until electrical equipment has been inspected by a qualified electrician.
Effects of Backfeed
When using gasoline- and diesel-powered portable generators, switch the main breaker or fuse on the service panel to the "off" position prior to starting the generator. This will prevent power lines from inadvertently being backfed. This protect linemen, other repair workers or people in neighboring buildings from electrocution.
Other Generator Hazards
Generator use is also a major cause of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Generators should only be used in well-ventilated areas — not inside the garage or inside any other buildings.