Be Ready for Storm Season

Spring is on our doorstep and I’m looking forward to more opportunities to be outdoors and enjoy warmer weather. Springtime brings many of my favorite activities like cooking out with family and friends, time spent working in the yard and simply slowing down a bit to watch a baseball game.

Unfortunately, spring and summer can also create perfect conditions for severe storms. Union County Electric Cooperative crews are always prepared and standing by to respond should power outages occur in our area. When severe storms cause power disruptions, our line crews take all necessary precautions before they get to work on any downed lines.

I would encourage you to also practice safety and preparedness to protect your family during storms and outages.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends the items below as a starting point for storm and disaster preparation, but you can visit www.ready.gov for additional resources.

• Stock your pantry with a three-day supply of non-perishable food, including canned goods, energy bars, peanut butter, powdered milk, instant coffee, water and other essentials (i.e., diapers and toiletries).
• Confirm that you have adequate sanitation and hygiene supplies including towelettes, soap and hand sanitizer.
• Ensure your First Aid kit is stocked with pain relievers, bandages and other medical essentials, and make sure your prescriptions are current.
• Set aside basic household items you will need, including flashlights, batteries, a manual can opener and portable, battery-powered radio or TV.
• Organize emergency supplies so they are easily accessible in one location.

In the event of a prolonged power outage, turn off major appliances, TVs, computers and other sensitive electronics. This will help avert damage from potential power surges and will also help prevent overloading circuits during power restoration. That said, do leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.

If you plan to use a portable generator, make sure it’s rated to handle the amount of power you will need, and always review the manufacturer’s instructions to operate it safely. Although prolonged outages are rare in our area, some members have installed whole home standby generators for added protection. Give us a call if you are interested in either Generac or Kohler standby generators. We will be happy to help meet your needs.

Severe storms can occasionally bring down power lines. If you see a downed line, always assume it’s energized and never approach it. If flooding occurs, never walk through areas where power lines could be submerged.

If you experience an outage, please don’t report it on Facebook. Call our office anytime at 605-356-3395 to report an outage––this is the fastest way to let us know if your power is out and get a crew on the way to help.

I hope we don’t experience severe storms over the spring and summer months, but we can never predict the weather. So, at Union County Electric, we recommend that you make a plan today––because storm preparedness is always our best defense.  

Finally, listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for storm and emergency information, and check Union County Electric Cooperative’s Facebook page for restoration updates.

Until next month, stay safe and God bless.