Be prepared to weather the weather
It’s storm season in Central Texas! Prepare now, and you can minimize the impact of severe weather, which may bring unavoidable outages with it.
Timber!
Falling tree branches are a common cause of property damage and power outages. Trim any trees that are close enough to damage your home.
PEC’s trained and certified employees and contractors work year-round trimming trees where they pose a risk to electric equipment. Never trim trees that come within 10 feet of power lines yourself! Contact us at 888-554-4732, and we will trim them to a safe distance, free of charge.
Plan to succeed
Develop a plan with your family in case of prolonged outages. Prepare an emergency kit with all the items you might need during an outage and know when and where to seek shelter if necessary.
Let’s keep in touch!
Receive text alerts from PEC during an emergency by adding your mobile number to your account on SmartHub. Want to add multiple numbers? Call 888-554-4732. And, when your number is added to your account, you can report an outage simply by texting “outage” to 25022. Message and data rates may apply.
Keep your food and electronics safe, too
Before an outage strikes, install appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer to help identify if your food enters the danger zone above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. During an outage, don’t open the refrigerator or freezer doors! Unopened, your refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours without power, and your freezer will keep food cold for about 48 hours. Filling the fridge with cold food and water helps keep everything cold longer, the same way a cooler full of ice will stay cold longer than a half-full one.
When it comes to electronics, the only certain protection against a surge is disconnecting your devices from power. A good surge protector can protect against an unexpected surge, but it’s important to know that surge protectors and power strips are not the same thing. Power strips provide additional outlets but no protection against a power surge.
When the power is restored, wait a few minutes for the electricity to stabilize before turning your things back on.
Monitor your outage
Before you report an outage to PEC, be sure to check your home breakers. You may be able to get the lights back on yourself! Learn how at pec.coop/breakers.
Once your outage has been reported, you can check map.pec.coop for more information and updates; click here to learn more. If you report your outage by text, we will automatically message you back with any available updates.
Learn more at pec.coop/weather.
