STAY SAFE, STAY WARM IF WINTER STORMS CAUSE POWER OUTAGES

WENATCHEE, WA – Wet, windy, icy – winter 2019 has arrived.

Chelan County PUD line crews and the many employees who support them want to help you be ready if winter storms cause power or other utility service outages.

First step, we encourage customers to follow Chelan PUD on Twitter and Facebook. We share good tips all year long, but especially updates during outages.

Folks also can follow our Twitter feed on the home page at chelanpud.org (you don’t have to be on Twitter). And keep our 24/7 outage number handy: 877-783-8123 to report any problems.

Remember to sign up for Chelan County safety and emergency alerts, too.

Next talk with your family and make a plan. RedCross.org and “Take Winter By Storm” have great information on what to put in an emergency kit.

If the power does go out, these tips can help keep you and your family safe, as well as help PUD crews safely restore service as quickly as possible:

·         Turn off all but one light – on the porch or inside where it can be seen from the street – so you and PUD crews know when power is restored

·         Turn off power strips and unplug electronics

·         Unplug or turn off appliances and your heating system

·         Never use fuel-burning devices, like gasoline-powered generators, gasoline-powered pressure washers, camp stoves and lanterns, or charcoal grills inside, or in any confined space, or within 10 feet of windows, doors or other air intakes. Using these items in your home can produce carbon monoxide, which can be deadly

·         Wait 10 minutes after power is restored before turning on the heat to ease the load on the system – our old friend “cold-load pickup”
 

DO NOT go near, touch or try to move any lines on the ground – stay far away!

If you plan to use a portable generator, make sure you plug appliances directly into the generator. Or make sure your home is disconnected from the PUD’s electric system with a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician. We have more information about back-up generators in the “Outage” section of chelanpud.org under “If the lights go out.”

If there is a fiber outage:

·         Call or check your service provider’s website for information or to report a problem. The provider will let Chelan PUD know if repairs are needed on the broadband network.