Greenwell Springs, LA – DEMCO alerts members to prepare for severe weather that may result in outages across DEMCO service areas. A high threat of damaging winds and tornados is forecasted.
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 covered by water can be deadly. Crews will be working to repair and restore damages as soon as flood waters recede, and winds are below 35 mph.
“After a severe weather system moves through the area, assessing damage and estimating when members will have power restored could take 24 hours or more, since flood waters must recede to access and assess many areas, and before restoration can begin,” says Randy Pierce, CEO and General Manager.
Preparation Tips:
- Have an adequate supply of prescription medicines and any necessary infant supplies on hand.
- If you use medical equipment at home that requires electricity, make sure you charge the battery before the storm.
- 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.
- If you are in an area subject to an evacuation order, heed the order and move to a safe location.
- 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, flashlight, 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.
- Have a telephone with a cord or an extra charged cell phone to use as a back-up. Cordless telephones won’t work during an outage.
- Keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.
- Consider having supplies handy for your propane or charcoal grill. Be sure to grill outdoors in well ventilated areas for safety.
- Secure outdoor items. Safely store lawn furniture, decorations, toys, garbage cans and other items that can be brought indoors.
- Protect your electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors. Consider an uninterruptible power supply, such as a generator.
Most importantly, Safety Tips:
- Follow the advice of your local emergency management and health officials.
- Stay away from downed wires. Contact your local co-op to report a downed wire or an outage.
- Avoid crews working in the street. This will keep you and the crews safe and allow them to work on restoring your power.
- Do not enter flooded areas, which can conceal downed wires or other potential hazards.
- Tune in to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
DEMCO advises members to contact local health department or emergency management offices about shelters that can assist you during a prolonged outage, and if you have a medical emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the hospital.
Outages reported using any of the three methods below are automatically incorporated into DEMCO’s outage 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:
