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| Crews working an outage in the rain Photo courtesy Seattle City Light |
It’s Storm Season: City Light Wants you to be Ready!
A power outage can happen at any time, but it is especially likely during stormy weather. A little preparation today can go a long way to keep you and your family safe and comfortable the next time you experience a power outage.
Are you ready for an outage? Take our online quiz and find out! You will have the opportunity to enter to win an emergency kit or a portable phone charger.
Here’s how you can prepare for the next outage:
• Build an outage kit. Make sure you have enough water, a portable phone charger, nonperishable food, flashlights (with working batteries) and blankets ready for every household member—pets included!
• Stay informed. Check the City Light outage map for current information on your outage and surrounding areas. You can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates. Subscribe to local alerts. Track weather reports.
• If you are on life support, enroll in City Light’s Life Support Program. Does anyone in your home rely on medical devices? If yes, consider enrolling in the Life Support Program for notification about planned outages and direct communication when an unplanned outage occurs and how long it will last. Plus, you may be eligible to receive assistance to keep your lights on if you are struggling to pay your bill.
• Never use gas or charcoal grills indoors. Homes in the Pacific Northwest are better insulated than other parts of the country and world. This increases the chance for carbon monoxide poisoning. Be sure to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home to avoid illness or even death.
• Pay attention to food safety. Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible to preserve items for up to 48 hours. Determine if food is safe for consumption based on its temperature after an outage.
• Prepare for power surges. Power surges can cause damage to your appliances, equipment or electronics when power is restored. To prevent damage, it’s a good idea to disconnect your electronics during an outage.
• Stay away from downed power lines. You should always stay at least 20 feet away from a downed power line and call 911 to report them.
• Assess your trees. With most of the leaves fallen, now is a great time to examine the structure of your trees. Look up and identify broken or cracked branches that could fall during a windstorm. If your trees could cause safety problems with power lines, contact Seattle City Light Vegetation Management Staff online or call 206-386-1733.
By preparing now, you will hopefully be less inconvenienced by the next power outage. Rest assured, whenever an outage happens, City Light is committed to restoring power to our customers as quickly and as safely as possible while keeping our crews safe.
• Never use gas or charcoal grills indoors. Homes in the Pacific Northwest are better insulated than other parts of the country and world. This increases the chance for carbon monoxide poisoning. Be sure to install a carbon monoxide detector in your home to avoid illness or even death.
• Pay attention to food safety. Keep refrigerators and freezers closed as much as possible to preserve items for up to 48 hours. Determine if food is safe for consumption based on its temperature after an outage.
• Prepare for power surges. Power surges can cause damage to your appliances, equipment or electronics when power is restored. To prevent damage, it’s a good idea to disconnect your electronics during an outage.
• Stay away from downed power lines. You should always stay at least 20 feet away from a downed power line and call 911 to report them.
• Assess your trees. With most of the leaves fallen, now is a great time to examine the structure of your trees. Look up and identify broken or cracked branches that could fall during a windstorm. If your trees could cause safety problems with power lines, contact Seattle City Light Vegetation Management Staff online or call 206-386-1733.
By preparing now, you will hopefully be less inconvenienced by the next power outage. Rest assured, whenever an outage happens, City Light is committed to restoring power to our customers as quickly and as safely as possible while keeping our crews safe.
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