Access safety and preparedness resources

We’re committed to delivering safe and reliable power to each of our customers every day. We constantly work to safeguard our electric system to minimize the risk of service interruptions. During the winter storm season, when outages may occur, our crews and emergency response teams do everything they can to keep the lights on. When storms result in interruption to your service, we do our best to restore service as quickly and safely as possible.

Staying prepared for power outages

You can take steps to minimize the safety risks and inconvenience caused by a power outage:

• Keep important phone numbers, such as numbers of hospitals, fire departments, police, friends and relatives in a convenient location in case you need emergency help or other assistance.
• Have a backup plan to maintain any life support equipment.
• Keep a cellphone or hardwired, single-line telephone on hand. Cordless phones don’t work without electricity.
• Keep a flashlight with extra, fresh batteries in a convenient place. Avoid using candles because of the fire risk. If you must light candles, use extreme caution.
• Turn off heat-producing appliances such as ovens, stovetops and irons during an outage. This practice helps eliminate fire hazards that can occur when power is restored.
• Protect sensitive electronic equipment such as televisions and computers with surge suppressors. Unplug any such equipment that is in use when the power goes out.
• Ensure that food stays cold by keeping your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. You can keep the refrigerator cold by placing ice in plastic containers inside it. A full freezer stays colder, longer.
• Keep nonperishable food that doesn't require cooking on hand. Ensure that you have a manual can opener.
• Inform us if you have a generator, and avoid using it unless you’re sure that it was installed safely and correctly. An incorrectly installed generator can damage your property. It can endanger you, and potentially harm our line workers who may be working on nearby power lines. Read about the safe installation of generators. Visit Electric Generator Safety.

Understanding how power is restored

After a storm, our crews’ first task is to assess the damage. In the case of a major, widespread storm, this assessment can take days. During this phase, you may see our trucks in your neighborhood as you continue to experience an outage. The information they gather helps us plan our work.

In an outage situation, addressing hazardous situations such as downed wires is priority. Next, we focus on restoring as many customers as we can, as quickly as possible. We also prioritize repairs that restore service to critical facilities such as hospitals, water pumping stations, and police and fire departments.

As we work to restore power to all customers, you may see your neighbor’s lights on, while your location remains in the dark. Different parts of a neighborhood may be on different circuits, and not all circuits are restored, at one time. Sometimes, a problem only affects service to your home. Whenever you experience an outage, you can report it to us using your mobile device. Visit Report & View Electric Outages or call 800-743-5002.