N.C. Electric Cooperatives Report Isolated Outages

RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- North Carolina's 26 electric cooperatives, which provide power to communities in 93 of the state's 100 counties, report only isolated outages on Saturday morning. The cooperatives do not anticipate additional outages resulting from the winter storm. We will continue to monitor our systems and the weather, and we are prepared to respond should conditions change.

With frigid temperatures expected and frozen precipitation on roadways, cooperative members are urged to use caution and follow the safety tips below.

SAFETY TIPS

• Winter weather can lead to treacherous conditions on roadways, including black ice. Stay off the roads if possible, and if you must travel, use extreme caution.
• If you see electric utility crews working on the side of the road, slow down and leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the workers.
• Never touch a fallen or sagging powerline. Always assume that lines are energized and dangerous.
• If you're without electricity and want to use a portable generator, make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area. Do not connect a generator to your home's electrical panel or fuse boxes. It may cause electricity to feed back into the power lines, which can endanger linemen and damage electric service facilities.
• If using Sterno or charcoal to cook food, always to do so outside in a well-ventilated area. Cooking indoors with Sterno or charcoal will produce deadly carbon-monoxide fumes.
• When the temperatures falls, blankets, extra layers and warm drinks are a great way to stay warm.
• Never leave a fire in a fireplace unattended.

OUTAGE REPORTING

Electric cooperative members are asked to report power outages or any dangerous situations caused by the storm to their local electric cooperative. For outage reporting phone numbers and the counties served by each co-op, refer to www.ncelectriccooperatives.com/co-ops/coops.htm.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA's Electric Cooperatives

North Carolina's electric cooperatives provide power to more than 2.5 million people in 93 of the state's 100 counties, primarily in rural areas.

SOURCE North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives