Preparedness is the Best Defense

Tri-County EMC 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 working on downed lines. Our members must also practice safety and preparedness to protect their families 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 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 a portable, battery-powered radio or TV.
• Organize emergency supplies so they are easily accessible in one location.

In a prolonged outage, turn off major appliances, TVs, computers, and other sensitive electronics. This will help prevent overloading circuits during power restoration. If you plan to use a portable generator, ensure it’s rated to handle the amount of energy you need and always review the manufacturer’s instructions to operate it safely. Stationary generators should only be installed by a licensed electrician. Georgia law requires you to have a properly installed transfer switch that isolates the generator from Tri-County lines and eliminates feedback to the electric system. Feedback can electrocute anyone coming in contact with wires your generator has energized. Please help keep our crews safe by taking the necessary precautions.

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. (58657001)

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 don’t report it on Facebook. Call the outage reporting number at 1.833.698.2362, or if you are enrolled in our outage texting program, TextTCEMC, you can text ‘OUT’ to 85700. Members can also monitor service area outages in real-time using the outage map on Tri-County EMC’s website.

While we hope the major storms will surpass Tri-County EMC’s service territory altogether, it is never a bad idea to be ready. Mother Nature is unpredictable and can change in a moment’s notice. We recommend that you make a plan today, because storm preparedness is always the best defense.

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• Categories:
• General

• Tags:
• storm
• storm prep
• tropical storm
• electrical safety
• summer storms
• generator

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