Central Electric ready to respond to Florence

Central Electric crews are prepared to respond to any outages that may occur due to heavy rain and wind in our area from Hurricane Florence. If forecasts of Florence’s track hold and the storm makes landfall on the N.C. coast as currently projected, our area should prepare for wide spread outages. Heavy wind and rain from a storm of this magnitude and strength will result in significant extended outages across our area. It is important for everyone to prepare for the storm ahead of time, keeping safety as the top priority.

Use the following tips to remain safe before and after the storm:

Before:

  • Check your disaster supplies and replace or restock as needed. Make sure you have batteries prepared for radios and flashlights.
  • Bring in anything that could possibly be picked up and thrown by high winds.
  • Make sure all electronic devices are fully charged ahead of time.
  • Talk with members of your household and have an evacuation plan prepared.
  • If you plan to use a portable generator, make sure it is installed by a licensed electrician. Power from generators can back-feed along power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including co-op line workers making repairs.

After:

  • Avoid downed or dangling power lines and report them to Central Electric immediately. Treat all downed lines as if they are energized; never assume that the line is dead.
  • Stay away from flooded areas, power lines could be submerged and still energized.
  • Stay alert for flooded areas and never attempt to drive through high-water.
  • Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible so your food will last longer in the event of a power outage. After a power outage, thoroughly inspect perishable food and throw out any spoiled items.
  • Inspect your home for any damage and take good pictures for insurance purposes.
  • After the storm, drive only if necessary to keep roads clear for emergency personnel and utility workers.

Should the storm have a major impact on our area, the cooperative is prepared to handle any outage situations that may occur. Please visit Central Electric’s Outage Center to view outages or for information on reporting an outage. Outages can be reported 24-hours a day by calling 877-766-6769 or texting “OUT” to 800-446-7752.