Have You Prepared Your Power Outage Plan?

Did you know that power outages can occur without stormy conditions? Cold weather generally puts higher stress on the equipment used to generate and deliver electricity. With temperatures plummeting to record lows this winter, experts at Duke Energy urge homeowners to establish a power outage plan now that can be implemented if disaster strikes.

• Take stock of your supply of flashlights, batteries, bottle water, non-perishable foods, and medicines and replenish immediately if needed.
• Ensure a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or NOAA weather radio is readily available and operational.
• Check on family members, friends and neighbors who have special medical needs to make sure they have necessary emergency supplies.
• If you lose power, turn off as many appliances and electronics as possible – this will help with restoration efforts and reduce immediate demand on power lines.
• Do not attempt to heat your home with a gas grill or by bringing your generator inside. Only operate such equipment outdoors in well-ventilated areas, and follow manufacturer instructions.
• When power is restored, wait a few minutes before turning electrically-powered devices back on.

Source: Duke Energy

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