Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) crews are preparing for possible interruptions in electric service. Significant accumulations of snow and sleet are forecast for the service area starting late Sunday into Monday, REC reported. This winter weather could cause trees and limbs to fall onto power lines and cause outages.
In anticipation, REC has field personnel standing by to ensure service restoration is completed as quickly and safely as possible. Other REC employees will transition from their normal work roles into storm assignments as needed.
As REC readies for possible winter storm outages, members should also make preparations, having items like flashlights, batteries, a can opener and a battery-powered radio on hand. A list of suggestions is available on the Outage Center section of the REC website.
Any member who is dependent on electric-powered medical equipment should take steps now to seek alternative shelter or a source of backup power, as appropriate.
Your Cooperative encourages you to follow these tips to help you prepare for winter storm:
Any time you lose electricity, report your outage to REC:
Call 1-800-552-3904 or if you have a smart phone visit www.myrec.coop and click on the Report Outage button to report your outage online.
If you are aware of specific damage, such as downed power lines, call 1-800-552-3904 after reporting your outage to speak with a representative.
After reporting your outage, please make sure major appliances such as stoves and ovens are cut off to prevent damage as power is restored.
If you are going to use a generator, remember to never install directly into your home’s wiring. Connect appliances directly to the generator. Or, if you want to connect directly to your home’s wiring, you must have a transfer switch installed for safety.
REC uses several different channels to communicate storm and outage information. You can find outage updates, the latest news, and much more on REC’s website, myrec.coop. REC also provides news, photos and video on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/RappahannockElectricCooperative), Twitter (@RappElecCoop), YouTube (youtube.com/user/recchannel1), and Flickr (flickr.com/photos/rappahannock-electric).
REC provides electric service to over 158,000 connections in parts of 22 Virginia counties. With its general office in Fredericksburg, Va., Rappahannock operates and maintains more than 16,000 miles of power lines through its service area, which ranges from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay.