Don’t sweat the storm

It’s officially summertime in the South. As the temperature rises and the sun shines brighter, the start of summer also marks the beginning of hurricane season.

While we prepare for the season ahead, it’s important to understand power outages are a common occurrence during these storms. The most common causes of power outages are damage from trees falling on power lines, broken poles and flooding.

With the memories of past storms still fresh in our minds, it’s natural to feel anxious about the potential impacts of these weather events. But fear not! This guide will share the steps of Covington Electric Cooperative’s power restoration process to assure you that we’re prepared for whatever the season may bring.

1. Identify the outage

The first step in restoring power is identifying where the outage occurred. This can happen in a few ways, such as through automated monitoring devices throughout the electrical system or by people calling in to report the outage. CEC’s Outage Management System integrates these various data sources, such as customer reports, real-time monitoring systems and field crew reports, to provide a centralized platform for outage tracking, analysis and restoration.

2. Assess the damage

Once the outage has been identified, crews are sent out to assess the damage. This includes checking for fallen trees, broken poles and damaged wires.

3. Prioritize outages

Crews will focus on restoring power to the largest number of people first. This means that they will prioritize fixing power lines that affect entire neighborhoods before moving on to individual homes.

4. Repair the damage

Once the outage has been assessed and prioritized, crews begin repairing the damage. This can involve removing fallen trees, replacing broken poles and repairing damaged wires.

5. Communicate with members

During an outage, members are often left wondering when their power will be restored. To help ease concerns, Covington Electric communicates with members through the website, outage maps and social media to keep them informed about the restoration process.

6. Restore power

Once the damage has been repaired, crews work to restore power and re-energize lines.

7. Follow-up

When we do restore power, we have the ability to ping meters at every location on the line to ensure the process was successful.

During a catastrophic weather event, such as a hurricane, the restoration process can be unpredictable, depending on the extent of the d amage. Under normal circumstances, power can be restored within 15 to 20 minutes, but during a catastrophic event, it could take hours or even days. If the damage is extensive, which is uncommon, restoring power could take even longer.

To prepare for these situations, CEC has an emergency restoration plan in place. We rehearse this plan with mock drills and regularly review and update it as needed to make sure that we’re ready when disaster strikes. This includes housing and feeding crews, working with neighboring cooperatives and contracting outside help if needed.

While power outages can be frustrating, it’s important to remember we have a dedicated team of people who work hard to restore power as quickly and safely as possible. By following these steps and communicating with members, we ensure everyone has access to reliable electricity n

During or after a severe weather event, the following tips can help members get through outages:

• Keep yourself safe – If you notice any downed power lines or other hazardous conditions, stay away from them and call us to report the issue. If using a generator, be sure to follow all safety precautions, including operating it outdoors in a well-ventilated area and avoiding back-feeding power into the electrical system.

• Keep refrigerators and freezers closed – Food can typically stay cold for up to four hours in a closed refrigerator and up to 48 hours in a closed freezer.

• Be patient – Understand that power restoration can take time, especially in the case of widespread outages caused by severe weather events. Lineworkers may encounter a range of hazards and challenges, such as extreme heat, flooding, snakes and debris. It is important to remember their safety is a priority as they work to restore power.

• Stay informed – We communicate with members during outages, providing updates on the progress of restoration efforts and estimated restoration times. Members can visit covington. coop for an outage map to see where outages are occurring and how many members are affected.

Call 1-800-239-1193 to report a power outage. If you are not calling from the outage location, please remain on the line and provide a detailed message regarding the outage. You can also use the free Covington Connect app for Android or the CEC Connect app for iPhones to report an outage.

• Be aware of unseen damage – Just because there is no visible damage in your immediate area doesn’t mean there isn’t damage somewhere along the electrical system that affects your power. Lineworkers may have to search for the cause of the outage, which can delay the restoration process.