Last Updated on January 21, 2016 1:38 pm
Employees of Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation are prepared to respond should outages result from severe winter weather in the cooperative’s service area of northwest North Carolina.
Members are advised to report outages to the cooperative’s PowerLine at: 1-800-448-2383.
To check outage status at any time, go to www.BlueRidgeEMC.com and click the Outage Map tab.
Members can prepare for winter weather with the following video and listed tips:
- https://youtu.be/tLXk_cXLPNw
- Create an emergency kit that includes the following suggested items located in a central area that each member of the household can locate quickly:
- Flashlights and fresh batteries
- Radio with fresh batteries
- Be sure cell phones and other electronics are charged or have fully charged battery back-ups.
- Blankets, sleeping bags, quilts
- Extra water for drinking and cooking
- Nonperishable food items, along with disposable plates and utensils and a manual can opener
- A grill with extra propane or charcoal and lighter fluid (not to be used indoors due to dangerous carbon monoxide fumes).
- Battery operated clock
- Thermos to keep liquids warm
- A non-cordless phone–it’s likely to operate even when power is out
- First aid kit, including prescription medications
- Emergency telephone numbers such as Blue Ridge Electric's PowerLine, local emergency management, police and hospital
- If someone in the home is dependent upon electric-powered life-sustaining equipment, have an emergency evacuation plan or a standby power generator in place.
For more information, visit the News tab/Storm Room at www.BlueRidgeEMC.com. During widespread outages, the cooperative also provides information on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/blueridgeemc and Twitter: www.twitter.com/blueridgeemc.
Blue Ridge Electric serves some 74,000 members in Caldwell, Watauga, Ashe, Alleghany, Wilkes, Avery and Alexander counties.
