Hurricane Season is here

June 1 marks the official start of hurricane season, with the peak storm threat from mid-August to late October. Clarke-Washington EMC wants you to be prepared in the event of one of these.

Before The Storm

Be prepared. Put together an emergency plan and communicate it with all family members. Learn your community hurricane evacuation routes. Cover windows with storm shutters or boards, clear loose and clogged rain gutters, and bring outdoor furniture indoors.

Below is a list of items that are essential during an emergency situation.

Water – at least one gallon daily per person for three to seven days. Stored in sealed, unbreakable containers

Food – at least enough for each person for three to seven days

• Non-perishable foods

• Food for infants, elderly, and persons with dietary restrictions

• Manual can opener

• Peanut butter, crackers, granola bars, and cookies

• Disposable plates, cups, utensils and paper towels.

First Aid Kit

• Scissors, tweezers, safety pins

• Gloves, band-aids, non-prescription drugs, soap

• Medications

Personal and Safety Items

• Blankets/Pillows, etc.

• Change of clothing, rain gear and sturdy shoes

• Flashlight/batteries

• Radio – battery-powered weather radio

• Cash

• Toiletries

• Important Documents

• Full Tank of Gas

• Pet food and supplies

Items for babies

• Diapers

• Medications

• Formula

• Bottles

During The Storm

Listen to the radio or TV for information, if possible. Avoid using the phone unless there is an emergency. If it is necessary to evacuate, find the safest place within your home to ride out the storm. The safest place is near the center of the house in small, enclosed rooms such as hallways or closets. Stay away from windows, spacious rooms and top floors.

If advised by authorities to evacuate, heed their warning. Follow these guidelines to protect your home and ensure a smoother return:

• Board up glass exterior areas of your home such as windows, patio doors and French doors.

• Bring lawn furniture and toys inside. Turn over and tie down outdoor objects too large to move, such as picnic tables and trampolines.

• Unplug appliances except for the refrigerator and freezer

• Remove objects from walls, such as pictures and move furniture away from doors and windows.

• Take pictures or videos of your home and property for insurance purposes.

• Don’t leave candles unattended and keep them away from furniture, draperies and other flammable materials.

After The Storm

STAY AWAY from downed power lines. Always treat them as if they are energized and dangerous. Make sure to call 911 and Clarke-Washington EMC at 800-3239081. CWEMC’s outage reporting system provides an efficient method of reporting outages. When you call 800-323-9081, your outage is reported right away.

The outage system automatically knows your name and address by accessing your telephone number in CWEMC’s database, allowing the dispatcher to send available crews to your area quickly. This electronic method of reporting outages is especially effective in the event of widespread damage from a hurricane.

At the earliest opportunity, service is restored to agencies that protect life and property, such as hospitals and fire departments. Individuals who depend on electricity to operate life-support systems should make plans for alternate sources of power or lodging in the event of an electrical outage.

If you use a portable generator, make sure a transfer safety switch has been installed or connect appliances directly to the generator. This prevents electricity from traveling back through the home to powerlines - what is known as backfeed. Backfeed creates a danger for anyone near lines, particularly crews working to restore power. For more generator safety, see page 8.