NCs Public Power Communities Prepare for Tropical Storm Hanna

Tag : power Supplies
NC’s Public Power Communities Prepare for Tropical StormHanna
Raleigh, NC, September 4, 2008 – As Tropical Storm Hanna nears the coast of North Carolina,NC Public Power communities are preparing for possible poweroutages. The Emergency Assistance Program has been activated and isready to respond in outage areas.
Being prepared and planning ahead are critically important inremaining safe during storms. North Carolina Public Powercommunities have several tips to help.

Before the Storm Strikes
• Stock up on non-perishable food, medicine, baby supplies andpet food.
• Purchase bottled water; 1 gallon of water per person perday.
• Gather emergency supplies, such as flashlights,battery-operated radios, extension cords and emergency generators,and purchase extra batteries.
• Monitor official weather bulletins.
• Keep extra cash on hand.
• Review evacuation routes.
• Arrange for safe sheltering for your pet if you mustevacuate. Public shelters usually do not accept pets.
• Keep your vehicle’s fuel tank full.
• Move yard items and patio furniture inside. Even small itemscan become dangerous in high winds.
• If a family member uses life-sustaining medical equipment,develop an emergency plan for generating power or plan to relocate.

During the Storm
• Turn off and unplug electrical appliances and equipment suchas TVs and computers.
• Watch for downed wires. Stay back and consider all linesenergized.
• Stay indoors in an interior room, away from windows.

Additional Safety Tips
• Check for electrical damage inside your home, such as frayedwires, sparks or the smell of burning insulation. If you finddamage outside your home, such as to your meter box, don't turnyour power on until an electrician inspects your system and makesnecessary repairs.
• Do not connect a generator directly to your home'selectrical system. It is dangerous to you, your neighbors andutility workers. Follow manufacturer's directions regardingconnecting appliances directly to your generator. Use a generatoronly in a well-ventilated area.
Public power customers should report any power outages or downedlines directly to their local utility.


ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc. (ElectriCities), NorthCarolina Municipal Power Agency Number One (NCMPA1), North CarolinaEastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA) - More than 70 NorthCarolina public power communities, municipally owned and operatedelectric systems, serve more than 500,000 residential, commercialand industrial customers in North Carolina. ElectriCities' membersin NC, SC and VA serve more than one million customers. Most havebeen providing reliable electric service for 100 years or more.ElectriCities is the service organization that provides customerservice and safety training, emergency and technical assistance,communications, government affairs and legal services to publicpower cities. ElectriCities provides management services to thestates two municipal power agencies: NCMPA1 and NCEMPA. NCMPA1 has19 member cities in the western part of North Carolina and NCEMPAhas 32 member cities in eastern North Carolina. More informationabout ElectriCities, the power agencies and public power isavailable on the Internet at www.electricities.com or at www.ncpublicpower.com .



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