As we get further into the winter season, our crews are preparing for the onset of severe weather and we want our customers to feel safe and prepared as well. Below are helpful tips for customers to follow before, during and after a storm.
Before a Storm – Get Prepared
- Make sure your contact information is up to date with us.
Be sure your current phone number is tied to your NES account so that we can easily identify your location when reporting an outage. To update your number, log into My Account at nespower.com.
- Be prepared with essentials.
Take a quick trip to the grocery and pharmacy to pick up essentials like non-perishable food, blankets, flashlights and fresh batteries, prescription medications, bottled water, pet food, infant formula and diapers. Also make sure cell phones and portable chargers are fully charged and unplug sensitive electronic equipment to protect against power surges. If the electricity goes out, use a car charger to power up your cell phone if the battery is running low.
- Have a backup plan for life-support equipment.
If you or a family member rely on an electrical life-sustaining medical device, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there or to a hospital during an extended outage. Click here to learn about NES’ Critical Referral Program for customers who rely on electrically powered life-sustaining devices.
During a Storm – Stay Safe
- Never go near downed or sagging power lines.
In case of an emergency or hazardous condition, call 911 to report the issue. NES will be notified immediately to respond.
- Report your outage.
Quickly report power outages by calling NES directly at 615-736-6900, reporting your outage directly to our outage map online or through your MyAccount, or by texting OUT to 637797 from the phone number tied to your account
- Keep your refrigerator and freezer doors closed.
Food in an unopened fridge will be safe if power is out four hours or less. A fully stocked freezer will hold food safely for 48 hours.
- Follow all safety guidelines when operating a portable generator.
Ensure proper ventilation outside to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust. Install a carbon monoxide detector inside your home as a safety precaution. Only operate your generator outdoors and never refuel your generator while it is running.
- Stay informed.
Go online to nespower.com to view our outage map for near real-time updates. We also provide storm information on Twitter and Facebook.
After a Storm – Cleaning Up
- Repairing damage to my property.
If service is pulled away from your property, you will need to hire a licensed electrician to make the necessary repairs. Metro or State Codes will have to inspect the work and issue a release to NES before power can be safely turned back on.
- Removing tree debris from my property.
When tree debris is caused by a storm or emergency situation, it is the responsibility of the property owner to remove it. Crews may need to cut broken and uprooted trees to make repairs to our lines, but our crews must work quickly to restore power to all customers.
How Power is Restored
Our process prioritizes restoring power to the outages affecting the highest number of customers; however, we make exceptions for customers who have been out of power the longest. We assign specific crews to focus on the customers who have the oldest outages. A new high-impacting outage does not necessarily mean work stops on your power restoration process. We have crews on call 24/7 to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.
NES cares about the safety of our customers and encourages everyone to stay prepared and remain weather aware and cognizant of hazardous road conditions. For more information, visit NESPower.com.
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