How to Prepare for the Worst

Being prepared ahead of the storm is the first step to keeping your home and family safe. Gather an emergency outage kit that includes:

• Flashlights and fresh batteries
• Battery-powered radios or televisions
• Candles, matches or lighters
• Water for drinking and cooking
• Portable heater, either oil or gas*
• Camping equipment like sleeping bags, camp stoves and lanterns
• Non-perishable food and a manual can opener
• Manufacturers' instructions for your generator (if you have one)
• Instructions for how to manually open your garage door
• Important over-the-counter medicines

*Caution: Some portable heaters can cause fires or other safety hazards when not used as specified by the manufacturer. Be sure to review the safety specifications of your specific model before using it during an outage.

What to Do When the Lights Go Out

When the rain or snow is falling and the wind is howling, we might lose power in our homes. If a storm knocks out electricity, here are a few tips to stay safe:

• Stay away from sparking equipment or downed lines or anything they may touch. This goes for children and pets too.
• Never remove debris that's within 10 feet of a power line.
• Unplug major appliances to protect them when power comes back on.
• Leave a light switch turned on so you know when power is restored.
• Refuel heaters, lamps and generators outside, and away from any flames or sparks. Wipe up fuel spills immediately.
• Let us know if you're using a generator – this protects you and our line workers as they work to restore power.
• Never operate lanterns, heaters or fuel-fired stoves without proper ventilation.
• Never burn charcoal indoors. It releases poisonous carbon monoxide.
• Don’t let children carry candles or oil lamps.

Who to Call for Help

Stay alert for hazards after the storm passes. When it’s safe, assess damage around your home. Always remember this life-saving rule: Keep you and your loved ones away from standing water near wires and appliances. And remember to stay away from downed power lines.

Depending on where you find damage, you may need to make several calls.

• For hazards and damage to poles and wires, electric meters, wires between the transformer and the weatherhead, call 888.218.3919
• For damage to the circuit breaker or fuse box, wires inside your home, the weatherhead and the conduit call a professional electrician.
• SWEPCO is not legally responsible for damages caused by natural occurrences like storms or normal equipment failures. However, your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance may cover these losses. We recommend checking with your insurance agent. If you believe SWEPCO caused another type of loss that you should be compensated for, please file a claim.