SVEC: Be prepared for potential outages with ice storm, stay clear of power lines

With another winter-weather system impacting the region, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative encourages members to be prepared in case outages occur.

Forecasts call for freezing rain, rain and possibly snow, as well as increasing winds come Friday.

SVEC will have crews and contractors ready to respond to outages in every service district. The cooperative remains in contact with weather-monitoring services for the latest projections and type of precipitation to be expected.

How to report outages

• Online: Outage Center at www.svec.coop
• Mobile: On the MySVEC app at www.svec.coop/app
• By Phone: 1-800-234-7832

Members should not report outages over SVEC’s social media channels. SVEC’s operations must receive official outage notification through one of the three methods listed above.

Additionally, “blinking” of lights may occur, which is a normal condition during a weather event such as this. Co-op members do not need to report blinking lights in these circumstances.

Preparing for outages at home

• Download SVEC’s app, MySVEC, to report your outage and manage your account;
• Fully charge devices leading up to precipitation;
• Prepare a home outage kit, to include flashlights, extra batteries, blankets, canned or packaged foods and a first-aid kit;
• Make arrangements for alternative housing, if necessary, especially if you are on life-sustaining equipment that requires electricity; and
• If outages occur, turn off major appliances that were in use at that time, which helps eliminate potential damage from surges once electricity is restored. Keep a light switch on so you can tell when power is restored.

Restoration process

Crews will work as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. The cooperative prioritizes restoration by first working scenes that will bring the most people back on.

While members can often find an estimated time for restoration on SVEC’s outage map, this information may not be available during a large-scale outage situation.

Please keep in mind unsafe road or wind conditions may increase SVEC’s response time to outages.

Safety

• Do not make any attempts to clear trees or other debris from power lines.
• Note the location, and any other important information regarding these situations, and please contact SVEC immediately at 1-800-234-7832.
• Please avoid contact with downed power lines.