Be prepared for possible power outages during National Preparedness Month
By Shannon Weidemann (McKone) on Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News Eastern/Southeast Oregon Top Stories
BAKER COUNTY – (Information provided by Idaho Power) September is National Preparedness Month, and Idaho Power is reminding customers to be prepared for possible power outages year around. With wildfires still burning throughout the region and late-summer storms always a possibility, it’s important to prepare for potential power outages, no matter the season.
Although Idaho Power keeps the lights on 99.9% of the time, when outages do occur due to extreme weather or fires, they can last hours or even days. Here are ways you can be ready for, and informed about, outages:
What you can do now to prepare:
Assemble a home emergency outage kit. Review the checklist at idahopower.com/outagetips for items to include in your kit.
Sign up to receive alerts of outages at your residence through My Account.
Bookmark Idaho Power’s live outage map at idahopower.com/outage for easy access if your power goes out.
Learn how to manually open security gates and garage doors.
If your power does go out:
Check Idaho Power’s Outage Map. If you don’t see your outage, you can report it online or by phone at 1-800-488-6151 (toll-free) or 208-388-2323 in the Treasure Valley.
Turn off any appliances or machinery that were in use before the outage to protect them and prevent circuits from overloading when power is restored. Keep one light on so you know when power has been restored.
Avoid opening refrigerator and freezer doors to keep food cold longer, and keep a large block of ice in the freezer.
If you notice a downed power line, stay at least 100 feet back and report it to Idaho Power by calling 1-800-488-6151.
To learn more about being prepared for outages, watch this video on Idaho Power’s top five outage tips, and visit idahopower.com/outagetips.
