Hurricane Threat Calls for Electrical Safety

September 15, 2004 Current forecasts indicate that Northeast Georgia could experience strong winds and rain as Hurricane Ivan leaves the Gulf of Mexico and travels inland. In order to be prepared for hazards present during and after Ivan, consider the following electrical safety tips:

Beware of fallen power lines. If you come upon a fallen power line, assume that it is electrically charged. This includes cable TV feeds and telephone lines. Report any downed line to your power company.

Leave it to the professionals. If you feel your house has been damaged, have a licensed electrician check your home.

If you decide to evacuate, make sure the water and electricity are shut off at the main stations before leaving.

Take proper precautions when using a generator if you lose power. Place the generator outside the home, as CO fumes are odorless and can quickly overwhelm you indoors. Also, never connect generators to another power source such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or 'backfeed' can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.

A final helpful hint. In the event of a power outage, check your breaker panels before calling your power company. Check both the main breaker on the inside panel and outside disconnect (usually only found on newer homes) located close to your electric meter. If the breaker is tripped, it will be stopped halfway between "off" and "on." Turn the breaker off first and then back on to reset it. If you still have power in part of your home, check the individual breakers in the panel.

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