Power Outages – Call 1-800-473-1722
If you are without power, contact Runestone Electric Association. Don’t assume that someone else has called to report the problem. Every call helps us determine the location and extent of the outage.
Calls are answered 24 hours a day, including holidays and weekends.
STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES (even if you are CERTAIN they are not energized). A line which was previously safe may become energized unexpectedly in the process of repairing damaged lines, so KEEP CLEAR.
Steps to Take if You are Without Power
• Make sure the problem is not on your side (Members may be billed for service calls if the problem is caused by their own equipment).
• Check your own fuses and circuit breakers in your home and by the meter pole (Call us for help if you are unsure of the location of your breakers).
• Check with your neighbors to see if their power is off and if they have reported the outage.
• If the trouble is not on your wiring, please call (800) 473-1722 for 24-hour service. Please report any tree branches in lines, twisted wires, broken poles and if your neighbors are also out of power.
• Be sure to have one corded phone in the house, because cordless phones won’t work when the power is out.
• Program the number above into your cell phone for easy access.
If the outage is a major one, you may get a recording asking for your information, or in extreme cases, a busy signal when you call to report an outage. This simply means that others are reporting outages as well. However, even the best phone system is not sufficient to handle the volume of calls generated by a major outage, so please be patient. The weather may give you a good indication of the situation. As you might expect, lightning storms and strong winds are particularly hard on electric lines.
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While the Power is Off
While it is true that an extended loss of power during a summer storm may eventually threaten your frozen foods, they will be safe for considerably longer than you might think. Here are a few things you can do to help protect your frozen goods: Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food should keep for at least 48 hours. If the outage is longer than this, arrangements should be made to keep food at another location or you should purchase dry ice. In a freezer which is not full, it is also a good idea to group the food together. As a general rule, raw meat and poultry that still has ice crystals in it may safely be refrozen. Cooked meat or poultry dishes that have remained at 40 degrees or below should be used as quickly as possible, but may also be refrozen. However, raw or cooked meat or poultry that has remained above 40 degrees for more than two hours should be discarded to avoid food poisoning.
Food Safety During a Power Outage
When the power goes out, one of the things you think about is all the food in your refrigerator. Check out this video for some tips on how to keep your food safe for your family during a power outage.
RESOURCES – for Keeping Safe During an Outage
If there is a widespread outage and lines are downed, stay away! Call the cooperative office and report any damage you see. If possible, keep others away from any downed lines. Assume any downed line is live. Contact us if you have a Critical Need for Electric Service.
Be Red Cross Ready – A power outage checklist
Ready.gov – A One Stop Shop for Emergency Preparedness