Although we’re still in the thick of the hot, humid dog days of summer, there’s always a chance for Mother Nature to quickly strike with severe weather. We saw that in late June when straight-line winds broke about three dozen poles across Tipmont’s system and caused a substantial number of outages, which our crews worked overnight and into the following day to restore.
When a pole breaks, the lines on those poles that deliver electricity can sag, snap, dangle or even fall to the ground. This may cause you to lose power, and restoration time depends on the nature of a storm’s destruction, the severity of infrastructure damage, the number and extent of outages, and our crews’ ability to access equipment in need of repair.
You can always trust that Tipmont will work safely and efficiently until your service is restored. What is most important in a severe-weather scenario is that you consider each necessary precaution to protect yourself and those closest to you.
- Call Tipmont if you see a broken pole: If a pole is broken with no immediate danger of human contact with power lines, call 800-726-3953 to let us know.
- Call 911 if you come across a downed line: If a line has fallen and could make contact with someone, immediately call 911 to engage help from first responders.
- Never attempt to move or lift a sagging, snapped or downed power line: The line could still be energized. Touching it can electrocute you, causing severe injury or death.
- Stay away from downed lines altogether: The safe choice is to not approach any sagging, downed or damaged power lines or infrastructure.
- Slow down after severe storms: If you’re driving shortly after severe storms, slow your speed to help keep Tipmont crews, first responders and your neighbors safe. It also allows extra time to brake if you encounter downed lines or poles in the road.
- Never enter a flooded room: If a severe storm has caused flooding in your building, stay away from those areas. The water could be energized. And if you are standing in water, do not turn power on or off or flip any switches.
- Prepare for storms by gathering the following:
- Bottles of water
- Non-perishable food
- Prescriptions
- A battery-operated radio
- Flashlights
- A portable phone charger
- Extra batteries
- Pet supplies
- Blankets
- Warm clothing
- A first-aid kit
- Hand sanitizer
One last reminder: If you lose Tipmont electric service under any circumstance, please wait five minutes before reporting the outage. In many instances, flickering lights and brief outages can be quickly restored. If your outage persists, report it by calling 800-726-3953 or use SmartHub at tipmont.smarthub.coop.
When you put your safety first during severe weather, it also prioritizes safety for Tipmont crews and first responders to assist you.
