Tag Archives: Outage

Storm and Outage Safety

Posted on: March 10, 2026 By: hcarter@consolidated.coop

Our teams are prepared for spring storms – make sure you are too! Please read through the information below to help keep you and your family safe if outages occur.

Outage Reporting

Outage Tracking

  • Sign up for Outage Alerts to receive text message updates about outages in your area.
  • Use our Outage Map to see the impact of an outage across our territory and track our restoration progress.

Outage Preparation

  • Do you have any medical equipment or treatments that require electricity or refrigeration? Make a plan with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure that you know how to stay safe when a power outage occurs. 
  • Maintain an emergency kit with necessary items like non-perishable food, water, flashlights, batteries, a first-aid kit, etc. 
  • Make sure you have blankets and warm clothing easily accessible. 
  • Take time to charge important devices like phones, laptops, and portable batteries before the bad weather hits.
  • Ensure that all of your sensitive electronics are protected from power surges. Remember that newer appliances often include computer elements and will need surge protection. Read this article to learn more about the importance of surge protectors and how to pick the surge protectors that best suit your needs. 
  • Remember to include your pets in your preparations! 

Outage Safety

  • Never approach a downed powerline, even if it appears to be de-energized. Lines can become re-energized as restoration efforts progress. If you see a downed line, call us and 911 right away.
  • Do not try to remove any debris from a powerline, even if you think it may be impacting your service. Without the proper training, equipment, and safety gear, it is extremely dangerous to go near a powerline.
  • During the restoration process, sometimes power comes back on in spikes that can damage electronics. Unplug all electronics and heat-producing appliances when an outage occurs.

Generator Safety

  • Read your manual for important safety information that is unique to your generator.
  • Before starting your generator, make sure your home is equipped with battery-backup carbon monoxide detectors, and test them to ensure they are working properly.
  • Never operate your generator inside your home, garage, barn, porch, or any other enclosed or partially enclosed space. Keep it at least 25 feet away and make sure the exhaust is directed away from windows, doors, and vents.
    • Never plug your generator into a wall outlet to try and power your home – this can send electricity down de-energized lines, putting line workers in serious danger.

Follow this link for more outage safety and preparation tips.