Winter can bring beautiful days for taking brisk walks, admiring the fresh snowfall or creating snow angels. Winter’s fury can also produce icy roads, subzero wind chills and power outages.
Unfortunately, heavy snow and accumulating ice can easily bring tree limbs down on power lines, cutting off power to homes and businesses. Even melting ice can be a problem, because it can cause power lines to sag from the added weight. Planning for future outages brought on by severe winter conditions can make riding out a prolonged power outage safer and a little more comfortable.
How long it takes for your power to be restored depends on several factors: the extent of the storm’s destruction, the number of outages in your area, and when it becomes safe for utility personnel to get to the affected areas.
Take steps to help keep your family safe and comfortable during a winter storm long before one is forecast. A good way to start is to put an emergency kit together. Safe Electricity suggests starting with these items:
- Water: Stock up on bottled water for consumption. FEMA recommends storing at least one gallon per person, per day.
- Food: Have at least enough food, including nonperishable packaged or canned foods, juices, special foods for infants or the elderly and snack foods, to last a week.
- Utensils: Without electricity, be sure you have a manual can opener, paper plates and plastic utensils.
- Layers and added warmth: Gather blankets, pillows and warm clothing items.
- Medical supplies: Locate a first aid kit, medicine, prescription drugs and any essential medical equipment.
- A charged cell phone: Most people are used to having their phones with them, but also have a portable, fully charged power bank on hand.
Other basic items include: toiletries, hygiene items, flashlight with extra batteries, a battery-operated radio or an NOAA weather radio, a list of emergency telephone numbers, pet supplies and resources for alternate heating methods, such as a fireplace or woodburning stove.
Before winter, check your trees to see if they are too close to power lines. If so, call your electric cooperative to have a tree-trimming professional remove limbs that could fall on power lines if they become covered in ice or snow. Only certified line clearance tree-trimming professionals are authorized and allowed to trim trees near power lines.
If you plan to use a portable generator during a power outage, remember to use caution. Never use a portable generator indoors, in a garage or near windows or doors, because they emit deadly carbon monoxide.
Never plug a portable generator into a wall outlet. Doing so can create deadly backfeed, which occurs when electricity travels from the generator back through the power lines.
During a winter outage, monitor the temperature in your home. Infants and elderly people are more susceptible to the cold. Also, avoid going outside. Downed power lines could be submerged in snow and ice, making them difficult to identify. Consider all downed and hanging lines energized and dangerous.
For more information about preparing for winter power outages and electrical safety, visit SafeElectricity.org.
