How to Prepare for Summer Storms
Summer is a great time of year because it means warm weather, pretty flowers, and pool openings, but summer is not all ice cream and sunshine. Summer also brings severe thunderstorms and it is important to prepare your family and your home so you can continue to enjoy the dog days of summer.
It is important to practice safety during a thunderstorm. Some ways to stay safe include avoiding electrical wires and water. If lightening should strike your home the electrical charge can rush through pipes and utility wires and could result in an injury if you are touching an electrical device or water at that time. So during a thunderstorm stay away from all electrical devices including toasters, microwaves, and laundry machines as well as any water from the faucets. Another simple way to stay safe is to stay away from puddles of water, flooded areas and downed power lines. Even though a power line is down it does not mean it does not have electricity surging through its wires. Finally, never operate electrical equipment if it is wet, especially outdoors after a summer storm.
In the unfortunate event that you do lose power you want to report the power outage immediately to your electrical provider. You are able to do this online on your cell phone. Most power companies will have a hotline or online service that will update you on the outages and hopefully provide an estimate for when power will return to your home. Below is the information for local power company Virginia Dominion Power.
VA Dominion Power- https://www.dom.com/residential/dominion-virginia-power/outage-center/report-and-check-outages
If you pay for your power individually at your home it is important to have your 10-digit phone number associated with your account or your 10-digit account number, and the last 4 digits of your SSN/PIN/Federal Tax ID. You will need this information to be able to access the online service for reporting outages and getting updates. If your Homeowner’s Association pays the electrical bill for your home then you will need to contact the managing agent for your community and let them know there is an outage.
The best part of thunderstorms is after the skies clear and it’s nothing but blues skies. So enjoy your summer and remember these safety tips in the event of a thunderstorm.
Source: Rappahannock Electric Cooperative REC News
Blog Author: Tara Alrutz
