When The Lights Go Out

Tornadoes, thunderstorms, blizzards—no matter the weather, the end result may be temporary power loss. Electric cooperatives routinely take such steps as trimming foliage and removing trees close to power lines to prevent outages. But when nature prevails, co-op employees are standing by around the clock to get your lights back on.

First things first: report your outage by calling your co-op. Then it’s a matter of waiting until repairs can be made.

Ever wonder how your co-op decides where to start restoring power? When staffers begin assessing damage, they focus on fixing the biggest problems first. Co-op employees follow a system that restores electricity first to areas that provide essential services such as hospitals, water, local government offices, and to areas where the most people live. Therefore, people in neighborhoods will likely see power return before members in remote areas.

If your neighbors have power but you remain out of service, there might be damage between your home and the transformer. If you didn’t report your outage earlier, call your co-op so a crew can make repairs.

—NATIONAL RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION