Are You Ready for Storm Season? | OEC News

By Abby Berry

Spring is on our doorstep and like many of you, we’re looking forward to enjoying warmer weather and activities like cooking out with family and friends, gardening and slowing down to enjoy life.

Unfortunately, spring and summer can also create the perfect conditions for severe storms.

OEC crews are always prepared to respond should power outages occur in our area. When storms cause power disruptions, our line crews take all necessary precautions before they work on any downed lines.

We encourage you to practice safety and preparedness to protect your family during storms and outages.

Build Your Storm Safety Checklist: Emergency Supplies to Have Ready

The Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends the items below for storm and disaster preparedness. For additional resources, you can visit ready.gov.

• Stock your pantry with a three-day supply of non-perishable food, including canned goods, energy bars, peanut butter, powdered milk, instant coffee, water and other essentials

• Confirm you have adequate sanitation and hygiene supplies including towelettes, soap and hand sanitizer.

• Ensure your First Aid kit is stocked with pain relievers, bandages and other medical essentials. Make sure your prescriptions are current.

• Set aside basic household items you will need, including flashlights, batteries, a manual can opener and portable, battery-powered radio or TV.

• Organize emergency supplies so they are easily accessible in one location.

Power Outage Preparation and Electrical Safety Tips

In the event of a prolonged power outage, turn off major appliances, TVs, computers and other sensitive electronics. This will help avert damage from potential power surges and prevent overloading circuits during power restoration. That said, make sure to leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.

Portable Generator Safety Guidelines

If you plan to use a portable generator, ensure it can handle the amount of power you will need, and always review the manufacturer’s instructions to operate it safely.

Portable generators do not permanently attach to the home, and can power only the appliances plugged into the generator, so consider essential electrical needs when choosing. To avoid backfeed into the electrical system, the portable generator should never be plugged directly into the home.

In the event of a prolonged power outage, listen to local news or a NOAA Weather Radio for storm and emergency information. Check okcoop.org/OutageCenter or our Facebook page for restoration updates.

Downed Power Line and Flood Safety Precautions

Severe storms can occasionally bring down power lines. If you see a downed line, always assume it’s energized and never approach it. If flooding occurs, never walk through areas where power lines could be submerged.

Report Outages and Sign Up for Emergency Alerts

Advance planning for severe storms or other emergencies can reduce stress caused by weather events and lessen the impact of the storm’s effects.

Sign up for NOAA emergency alerts and warnings. If you experience an outage, report it via your MyOEC mobile app, or visit okcoop.org/OutageCenter or call our outage reporting number at (405) 321-2024—this is the fastest way to let us know if your power is out.

We hope we don’t experience severe storms over the next few months, but we can never predict Mother Nature’s plans. We recommend that you make a plan today— because storm preparedness is always our best defense.