FIRST
CONFIRM the outage: Check lights and appliances in other rooms. If you still have power in some areas, most likely a fuse or a circuit breaker in your house has blown. If all lights are off, check to see if neighbor’s lights are also off. This will help us determine how widespread the outage is.
THEN
CALL 1-888-771-7772 to report the outage: Be prepared to leave a message on our Automated Outage System where your information will be fed immediately into an outage analysis computer system. Dispatchers will use this information and direct crews to the source of the problem.
OR
TEXT your outage to 85700: Text CECC to 85700 to opt-in to SMS Text Message outage notifications (required once per phone number). Then, in the event of an outage, text OUT to 85700 to instantly report your outage via text message. Give us a call if you have any issues with text notifications.
OR
Report Outage Via SmartHub: In your SmartHub App. Log-in to SmartHub in a web browser or the smartphone app, click on Report an Issue/Inquiry, then click on Power Outage, choose the account that is experiencing an outage, add any comments, and submit the outage report (preferred method).
Does your health rely on electricity?
A sudden power outage due to sever weather or a nearby accident could leave you without power for hours or even days. Do you have an emergency plan?
Talk with your family and friends about what you would do in the event of a long power outage. Do you have an alternative place to stay?
We often hear the question from members “What causes my lights to blink?” The power grid is subject to certain short-term losses of power, and Craighead Electric Cooperative takes all possible measures to prevent these occurrences and minimize their impact on our members.
Thanks to everyone for your patience and understanding as we deal with unprecedented circumstances regarding potential service interruptions. Please know that this could change at
All,
As you know, this historic cold weather event has put a strain on the South’s electric infrastructure. Due to the unavailability of natural gas, some of Arkansas’ gas-fired plants are out of service and others are offline due to emergency repairs. Wind and solar resources are typically unavailable in extreme weather conditions…
Be Ready Before Disaster Strikes
If disaster strikes your community, you might not have access to food, water, or electricity for some time. By taking time now to prepare emergency kits, you can provide for your entire family.
Even though it is unlikely that an emergency would cut off your food supplies for two weeks, consider maintaining a stockpile that will last that long. In fact, you can use the canned goods, dry mixes, and other staples on your cupboard shelves.Protein bars and breakfast bars are also good to have on hand.
But an ample supply of clean water remains a top priority. A normally active person needs to drink at least 2 quarts (a half gallon) of water each day. You also need water for food preparation and hygiene. Count on at least an additional half-gallon per person, per day.
Store at least a three-day supply and consider storing a two-week supply of water for each member of your family. If you are unable to handle this much, store as much as you can. You can reduce the amount of water your body needs by reducing activity and staying cool. Don’t forget to take your pets’ water needs into account, too!
An emergency kit should also include tools to help you weather the storm. Remember to store a battery or hand-crank operated radio, can opener, flashlights, extra batteries, hand sanitizer, and first aid supplies. Include a seven-day supply of medications for you or other family members. Finally, store copies of important documents—birth certificates, passports, and insurance policies.
While these are the basics, you can further customize your kit by including family photos, candy, nuts or other snack foods, and even a deck of cards to help pass the time. Think ahead—rechargeable flashlights plugged in around key areas of your home provide instant light if the power goes out.
To learn more about how to preparing for storms and other emergencies, visit www.redcross.org.
Notify us when you purchase a standby generator so we can be aware of your location. We also encourage you to have a licensed electrician install your generator.
Some members use backup or standby generators to provide power during outages. Craighead Electric needs to know if you are using a backup generator because of safety hazards they can pose to line workers and to you.
Be sure to have your generator installed by an electrician and be sure that it has a manual transfer switch to isolate the device from the power grid. If they are not properly isolated power can flow back to the power line, causing harm to the line workers. Also, if the circuits are not properly isolated this can cause the generator to overheat, which could lead to an electrical fire in your home.
The most common isolation method is to install a double-throw, double-pole transfer switch. If you do not have a load transfer switch installed, plug appliances and lamps directly into the generator.
