King County Public Health
The forecast calls for high winds and rain through Tuesday night, and that means power outages are likely when trees or their limbs topple. Power outages don’t seem like a big deal until they happen–then they are a pain in the you-know-what at best, and a serious health hazard at their worst.
Who do I call if the power goes out?
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| Use flashlights, not candles, to prevent house fires. |
- Check your neighborhood to see if others are without power.
- Call to report the power outage. Call only once to keep the line open for other customers.
What should I do when I see damaged or downed power lines in my neighborhood?
- Don’t get near any fallen or sagging power line!
- Call the utility company about the line. Please do not send email to report outages. Call Customer Service at 206-684-3000. Or, call the Outage Hotline (recorded message) at 206-684-7400.
- People who depend on electrical equipment to treat a health problem should have a plan in advance of a power outage.
- In some cases, this may mean purchasing a back-up power supply such as a generator or going to a health care facility that has back-up power.
- People who use life support equipment should register with the local utility. When they do this, the utility will make them a top priority for power supply repair and restoration.
- For your safety, always follow the manufacturer’s instruction on the use of power generators.
- Since most generators are powered by gasoline and can generate carbon monoxide gas, run them outdoors where the fumes will not cause illness.
- Power generators should never be plugged into your home’s main electrical panel as this may result in serious injury or death to utility personnel working to restore power. Instead, plug the generator directly into the appliance you wish to use during the outage.
- Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed to prevent the loss of cold air.
- A fully loaded refrigerator may keep food fresh for about six hours.
- A fully loaded freezer may keep food frozen for up to two days.
- If any food in the refrigerator or freezer is warmer than 41° F, throw it out.
In a severe emergency or disaster, expect electric power to be out for several days. If that happens, consider relocating to a shelter or to a friend’s home where heat and power are available.
And one more important warning:
Never use charcoal, gas, or propane heaters indoors. Odorless, invisible fumes from charcoal, gas, and propane can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Using these heaters indoors can also increase the risk of fire.
And one more important warning:
Never use charcoal, gas, or propane heaters indoors. Odorless, invisible fumes from charcoal, gas, and propane can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Using these heaters indoors can also increase the risk of fire.
Bullet point 3 under generators is inaccurate. Generators can and should be plugged into your panel with a properly installed lockout switch in place. The lockout switch prevents the breaker for the generator from being thrown in a way to re-energize the line. An inlet and lockout switch can be had for several dollars and installed by a licensed electrician is often under $700 in cost. This capability can often see furnaces run, refrigerators keep cool and those on electrical service for cooking and heating, having life saving capabilities in cold times.
ReplyDeleteAlso, please, for the love of the Goddess, don't call 911 to report a power outage. Dispatchers will be busy with other higher priority calls ranging from collisions, trees down, road hazards, medical calls, alarms and in-progress crimes.