CAPE FEAR AREA, NC (WWAY) — Several agencies are preparing for the winter storm headed for the Cape Fear Area.
Tim Tippett with Brunswick Electric Membership Corporation says their linemen are on standby and extra employees are on call.
“We have strategically located equipment throughout our system. We’ve checked our inventory of poles, wires, and related equipment to make sure we have what is needed to make repairs and restore power,” Tippett said.
If the power does go out, Duke Energy Spokesman Jeff Brooks says to make sure your devices are charged so you can report outages and stay up to date on conditions.
“If you’re going to use a generator, make sure it’s in a well-ventilated area and don’t ever grill inside a garage or other places where you don’t have adequate ventilation,” Brooks said. “Unfortunately, in these winter storms, we tend to always hear situations where people try to use an open flame or some type of heating device or generator incorrectly and it can create serious issues or even death.”
Both companies remind people that if they see a downed powerline to assume it is still live and stay away from it. If you experience an outage and are serviced by Brunswick Electric, you can report it by calling or texting 800-682-5309 or through the online outage form.
If you are serviced by Duke Energy, you can report by texting “OUT” to 57801, using the app or website, or calling 1-800-769-3766.
New Hanover County Emergency Management Director Steven Still says the county is activating its Emergency Operations Center at 7 am on Friday. Still says crews were out on Thursday salting sidewalks and making adjustments to any tree limbs that could cause a problem during the storm.
He is urging people to stay off the roads, not only to protect themselves but emergency services workers as well.
“It does not matter if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle in ice, or snow for that matter. If you try to break in ice you’re not going to get that traction to slow your vehicle down,” Still said. “We don’t want to put them out there just as we don’t want to put you out there. If you can, stay off the roads and keep the roads open if our public safety needs to get out and about for a true emergency. Don’t create an emergency unnecessarily.”