Prepare for Extreme Storms

WillOWPix | iSTOCk.COM

Storms hammer Co-op Country with increasing frequency and severity, and they can create challenging conditions.

To avoid disaster, be prepared for a sudden storm. Here are a few tips:

If the power goes out, unplug all major electrical appliances and your expensive electronics right away. This could prevent an electrical surge from damaging the motors of those appliances when power is restored.
Unplug basement appliances if you expect flooding.
If water gets into the house, turn off the electricity to those areas before stepping into a wet room. Stepping in water—even just a puddle—that is touching plugged-in appliances can electrocute you.
Before turning wet appliances back on, have an electrician inspect them.
Keep the refrigerator door closed during a power outage. Food stays good for up to four hours in an unopened refrigerator that remains cold.
Keep a refrigerator thermometer on hand to check the temperature when power is restored. If food is still below 40 degrees, it’s safe to eat.
Find out ahead of time where you can get dry ice if the power is off for more than four hours. For situations when food in the refrigerator goes bad, keep ready-to-eat, nonperishable food—and a manual can opener—on hand. It’s also a good idea to have several containers of drinking water available in case your well or municipal water source become contaminated or unavailable.
Keep your vehicle’s gas tank full so that you’re not running on empty if you need to evacuate or if there’s a fuel shortage.
If someone in the house is on a life-support system or relies on any electric medical device, make a plan for where to take the person in case of a power outage. Your electric co-op or local hospital can help you formulate a plan.

Posted: 10/14/2021 11:10:49 AM

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