Crews from state's 27 electric cooperatives ready to roll to any area
RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina's 27 electric
cooperatives are preparing for the winter storm predicted to hit the state
today. Electric co-op power restoration crews across the state are on standby
to assist any co-op hit hard by this storm.
Because North Carolina's electric cooperatives are located in the
communities they serve, restoration crews are always on-site and can begin
work immediately.
As with any threat of significant weather, the electric cooperatives
advise members to check their readiness.
* Be prepared. Before cold weather hits, make sure you have a way to heat
your home during a power failure. Keep a multipurpose, dry-chemical
fire extinguisher nearby when using alternative heating sources.
* Keep on hand extra blankets, flashlights with extra batteries, matches,
a first aid kit, manual can opener, snow shovel, rock salt, and special
needs items (e.g., diapers).
* Stock a few days' supply of water, required medications, and food that
does not need to be refrigerated or cooked.
* Monitor the temperature of your home. Infants and persons more than 65
are especially susceptible to cold. If it's not possible to keep your
home warm, stay with friends or family or in a shelter.
* Dress in several layers to maintain body heat. Covering up with
blankets can also conserve heat.
* Under no circumstances should charcoal grills or gas-powered generators
be used indoors or in attached garages. Doing so can be deadly.
Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, as does exhaust from a
portable generator. Carbon monoxide has no odor, cannot be seen, and is
deadly. Opening a window or using a fan may not reduce carbon monoxide'
to safe levels. CO is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning
fuel. The initial symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to
the flu and include dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea and irregular
breathing.
Electric cooperative customers are asked to call their cooperative
directly if they experience a disruption in power. For a complete list of
phone numbers to report outages and a list of counties served by each co-op,
refer to http://www.ncemcs.com . Those phone numbers should be retrieved and
on-hand before power outages occur.
North Carolina's electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people
in 93 of the state's 100 counties.
SOURCE North Carolina's electric cooperatives
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Related links:
http://www.ncemcs.com
CONTACT:
Cooperative Storm Center, +1-888-411-7870
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