[Durham INC] Durham Offers Power Outage Preparation Tips

Fri Jul 6 08:51:28 EDT 2012

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov 

Like: http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

Follow: http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

For Immediate Release: July 6, 2012

Durham Offers Tips to Help Residents Prepare for Power Outages

DURHAM, N.C. - With record-breaking temperatures, severe thunderstorms and resulting power outages throughout North Carolina and beyond, the City of Durham wants to help residents know how to be prepared before, during and after a severe weather event.

To help prepare for a power outage, the Durham County Emergency Management Department suggests that families assemble an emergency kit, which should consist of the following items:   

·         A flashlight with extra batteries (placed where you can find it in the dark) 

·         A battery-powered radio and fresh batteries 

·         A few days' worth of ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or cooling

·         A supply of bottled water

·         A manual can opener 

·         First aid supplies and all medicines readily available

·         Extra fuses 

·         A battery-powered or wind-up clock

·         Any specialty items such as prescription medications, baby food, etc.  

·         A traditional analog phone that does not require electricity to operate (cordless phones and phones with built-in answering machines will not operate during a power outage)  

In addition an emergency kit, families should also have a plan move their family, especially those with special needs, to an alternate location in case they have to evacuate or experience an extended power outage. During severe weather or power outages, turn off as many appliances and electronics as possible. This will reduce the potential for damage or fire. After the power is restored, wait 10 minutes before turning them back on.

Sudden power outages can be troublesome, but if a power outage is four hours or less, perishable foods should be fine if refrigerators are kept closed. For prolonged power outages, there are certain steps that can be taken to minimize food loss and keep all household members as comfortable as possible. 

·         Don't open freezers and refrigerators any more than absolutely necessary. Opening these appliances will allow food to thaw more quickly. 

·         Refrigerators should keep food safely cold for about four hours if unopened. 

·         A full freezer should hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours if the door stays closed (about 24 hours if it is half full). 

Once the power is restored, following are some tips for how to determine if the food inside the refrigerator or freezer is safe to keep:

·         Check the temperature inside the refrigerator and freezer. If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40° F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen. If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food to determine its safety. Don't rely on appearance or odor. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40° F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.

·         Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out for no more than four hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40° F for two hours or more.

To learn more about keeping food safe during a power outage, visit the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/keeping_food_Safe_during_an_emergency/index.asp.

Finally, another dangerous situation that many residents may encounter is downed and sagging power lines. Consider all downed power lines, and anything touching them, energized and dangerous. Following are some helpful tips for safely dealing with this type of situation:

·         Stay away from downed or sagging power lines, and do not touch anything that is on or near a power line (i.e., trees or tree limbs, cars, ladders). 

·         Keep children and family pets away from areas where lines may have fallen (backyards, fields, school yards, etc.). 

·         If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground. 

·         Report all power line hazards to Duke Energy at 1-800-POWERON (1-800-769-3766) or in Spanish at 1-866-4APAGON (1-866-427-2466).

For more information, contact the Durham County Emergency Management Department at (919) 560-0660 or visit http://www.durhamcountync.gov/departments/emgt/.

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