Hurricane Debby May Bring Local Outage
With Tropical Storm Debby rolling in this weekend, there’s a big potential for electrical outages. Heavy rain, flooding, and high winds can all strain or even damage the electrical grid. And since we are all reliant on electricity for our daily life, it’s important to be prepared for a potential outage. Here’s a few things you can do to prepare for a summer storm, and what to do when the power goes out.
Get Summer Storm Ready
There’s a few very important things you can do to prepare for a summer storm. Firstly, you’ll want to have an emergency kit. Include drinkable water, food you can prepare without electricity, battery powered light sources, and medical supplies. You’ll also want to include an emergency radio as well as pet and baby supplies.
Secondly, batten down the hatches! Cover windows and doors, and trim any tree limbs over your home that could break, fall, and cause damage. Also secure loose items outside like chairs or toys by either bringing them inside or anchoring them down. High winds could blow them around and cause damage to you or your neighbor’s home.
Finally, be aware of flood areas and evacuation routes in your area. If you’re in a flood zone, seek higher ground. Flash floods in PA’s steep sided valleys can be dangerous!
Know How to Report an Outage
If your power goes out, the first thing you want to do is check your breakers or fuses. It’s always possible that you simply tripped a breaker. If those are fine but your power is still off, see if your neighbors have power. But only if you can safely do so! If they don’t, or you can’t check because of the storm, then it’s time to report the outage to your PA electric company.
Don’t call your PA energy supplier. Remember that your utility owns and maintains the poles and wires that bring electricity to your home. Most utilities will let you report an outage online, through their website.
FirstEnergy PA customers (Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power, West Penn Power) can report an outage at the FirstEnergy outage center.
PECO customers in Philadelphia can report outages online by entering their phone number.
DLC customers can report on the Duquesne Light Company Outage Page.
PPL customers should report outages or other issues on the PPL website.
Stay Safe During an Outage
If your power does go out, there’s a few easy tips you can use to keep your home and family safe.
Firstly, conserve your cell phone battery. You want to keep it handy for emergencies, so don’t waste power texting and gaming. Keep entertained with a book or board game.
Secondly, avoid using candles for light. While they’re pretty, they’re also a fire hazard. Stick with battery-powered lanterns or flashlights.
Thirdly, unplug your major appliances. Occasionally, when power reconnects after an outage, there can be a voltage surge that can damage your appliances and electronics.
Finally, if you have a generator, most of your problems here are solved! Just remember to operate your generator safely. Generators and fuel should be kept outside, at least 20 ft away from windows, doors and attached garages. Always use the appropriate extension cord to connect your generator to appliances and electronics. And make sure to keep the area dry around your generator so you can avoid an electric shock.
Save Money with the Best Electricity Rates
Now that you’re prepared for a power outage, it’s time to consider your electricity provider. You can get a great electricity rate in your city simply by shopping around. Read reviews, compare plans, and more in one convenient site. Visit https://www.paenergyratings.com