SVEC reminds members of best practices for reporting outages

With the first winter storm in the forecast, Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative encourages members to become familiar with how to report power outages and the process crews will take to restore service in case of outages.

How to Report Outages: Widespread, lengthy outages are possible during weather events such as the one in the forecast. In these situations, it’s important to know the ways outages can be reported:

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

Members should not report outages over SVEC’s social media channels. Our operations team 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.

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 conditions may increase SVEC’s response time to outages.

Safety and Preparation: 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.

Please be sure to have all devices fully charged before inclement weather arrives. For the latest information, SVEC regularly updates its social media channels and sends media releases several times a day in large outage situations.

It is also important to prepare a home outage kit in case of extended outages, to include:

• Flashlights and extra batteries
• A battery-operated radio
• Candles or lanterns and matches
• An alternate source of heat
• Canned or packaged foods
• Water (one gallon per person per day for drinking)
• Disposable plates and utensils
• Camp stove or other emergency cooking device
• Extra blankets or sleeping bags
• Fire extinguisher
• First aid kit

For further explanation on SVEC’s steps to restoring power, please see the graphic on the following page.