This article is sponsored and submitted by Knox County Emergency Management Agency.
Whether dealing with summer winds or winter ice, nature can cause serious, multi-day power outages. We want to make sure that our community is well equipped when the power goes out. Let’s make sure that you know what to do before the next major storm hits.
Consider the many types of emergencies and disasters that can impact an individual’s household and/or business. What can you do to be prepared and keep your family out of harm’s way? One way to prepare is by making an emergency plan, including preparing an emergency kit in advance. When making a plan, consider the following:
- How will you receive emergency alerts and warnings?
- What is your household’s shelter plan?
- What is your evacuation route?
- What is your family/household communication plan?
- Do you need to update your emergency preparedness kit?
Do you know what to do if there is an outage? Below are some tips that can make the outage a little easier on everyone.
Reporting outages:
Each power company providing electric service to Knox County provides 24/7 services for reporting outages and safety hazards through hotlines and websites or apps.
● AEP Ohio 1-800-672-2231 https://www.aepohio.com/outages/report/
● Consolidated Cooperative 1-866-567-2753 https://consolidatedelectriccoop.smarthub.coop/Login.html (you must be pre-registered with email and password)
● The Energy Cooperative 1-800-535-5732 https://myenergycoop.com/smarthub/ (you must be pre-registered with email and password)
● Ohio Edison / First Energy 1-888-544-4877 https://www.firstenergycorp.com/outages_help/Report_Power_Outages.html (you must be pre-registered with email and password)
Prepare for an outage:
● If a storm is predicted in the area, make sure to charge your cell phones and other important devices. ▪ If your water supply may be affected by an outage, fill jugs or bathtub with water to use for sanitation purposes.
● Put together “Go Bags” with emergency supplies including flashlight and batteries, first aid kit, bottled water, nonperishable food, a knife, a few hand tools, medicines, toiletries, and other necessities. You may also consider having cash on hand in case ATMs and registers are not working during power outages.
● Have a backup battery or solar charger for powering important medical devices.
● Review the process for manually opening an electric garage door.
Getting restoration updates:
● Online outage maps or recorded or text messages are usually options provided for you by the power company’s telephone or website/app during the reporting process. You can use these options to keep track of the restoration progress.
● Power companies also may provide updates during major outages on their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Again, these are options that you need to make sure you are already registered to see or receive.
Staying safe during the outage:
● Downed power lines should always be treated as if they are live. Keep clear and use extreme caution around downed lines. Live lines can be hidden by trees, water, and other debris.
● Keep children and pets away from downed lines.
● If using a generator, be sure to use it outside as far away from windows and vents as possible to avoid the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Never plug your generator into a wall outlet as it can feed power back through power lines and endanger line workers.
● Unplug electronics and unneeded appliances in case of surges when power is restored. Surges can damage electronics or cause appliances to overheat and catch fire in extreme cases. Use a surge protector for any sensitive electronics that need to stay plugged in.
● Check on relatives and neighbors, especially the elderly or disabled to ensure their safety.
● During an outage, don’t open refrigerators or freezers unless necessary. Food can stay cold in a full refrigerator for up to 24 hours and a well-packed freezer for up to 48 hours. “When in doubt, throw it out.”
