Greenwell Springs, LA – DEMCO alerts members to prepare for severe weather that may result in outages across DEMCO service areas. According to the National Weather Service New Orleans, there is a high threat of damaging winds and tornados predicted 7 a.m. Wednesday through 7 a.m. Thursday.
DEMCO crews are ready to respond when it is safe to do so. Please be advised that storm debris can hide downed power lines and be extra cautious! Any dangling line or lines on the ground can be deadly. Crews will be working to repair and restore damages as soon as it is safe to do so and until power is restored to all members.
The main threats associated with any severe storms will be:
- Wind gusts greater than 60 mph will be possible
- Trees and powerlines could be damaged and lead to isolated/scattered power outages
DEMCO urges members to prepare for potential power outages and act to ensure their safety:
- If you or someone you know uses life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate, charge the battery before the storm, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there during a prolonged outage. Contact your local health department or emergency management offices about shelters that can assist you during a prolonged outage. If you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the hospital.
- Have an adequate supply of prescription medicines and any necessary infant supplies on hand.
- Develop an evacuation plan in case it’s needed. Communicate the plan to your family. Include pets or livestock in your plan.
- Fuel your vehicles before the storm as a loss of power could affect gas stations.
- Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include a battery-powered radio, flash light, first-aid kit, battery-powered or wind-up clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.
- Consider having supplies handy for your propane or charcoal grill. Be sure to grill outdoors in well ventilated areas for safety.
- Protect electronics by unplugging sensitive electronics. Use surge protectors.
Outages reported using any of the three methods below are automatically received into DEMCO’s system in real time:
- Visit www.DEMCO.org homepage and click Report Outage
- Call 1-844-MyDEMCO (1-844-693-3626) Option 1
- Download the MyDEMCO mobile app available for Android and iOS
Visit the DEMCO Storm Center for additional preparedness and safety resources:
