Spring is on our doorstep and like many of you, 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 and working in the garden.
Unfortunately, spring and summer can also create the perfect conditions for severe storms.
Y-W Electric Association crews are always prepared and standing by to respond should power outages occur in our area. When severe storms cause power disruptions, our linecrews take all necessary safety precautions before they get to work on any downed lines.
I 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 preparedness, but you can visit ready.gov for additional resources.
• Stock your pantry with a three-day supply of nonperishable food, including canned goods, energy bars, peanut butter, powdered milk, instant coffee, water, and other essentials such as 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 may need — flashlights, batteries, a manual can opener, and a battery-powered radio or TV.
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, 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. See page 10 for generator safety tips.
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.
Advanced planning for severe storms or other emergencies can reduce stress and anxiety caused by the weather event and lessen the impact of the storm’s effects.
Sign up for NOAA emergency alerts and warnings and follow us on Facebook for the latest power restoration updates. If you experience an outage, please do not report it on Facebook. Please use our convenient SmartHub app or call our main number at 970-345-2291 — these are the fastest ways to let us know if your power is out.
I hope we don’t experience severe storms over the spring and summer months, but we can never predict Mother Nature’s plans. At Y-W Electric, we recommend that you make a plan today — because storm preparedness is always our best defense.
Author: Andrew Molt, Director of Member Services
