Gulfport, Miss. – As the 2014 hurricane season begins, Mississippi Power stands ready to respond to any storm which threatens the service area.

“Mississippi Power doesn’t begin preparations as a storm enters the Gulf, we start preparing in January and continue to make adjustments up until the storm makes landfall,” Distribution and Storm Director Randall Pinkston said. “In addition, we’ll fine tune the process throughout the year based on non-hurricane events such as tornados or other severe weather to make sure we are truly prepared for any natural disaster.”

While the coast fared well last hurricane season, the company refuses to let its guard down when it comes to preparation and safety – including that of its customers.
 
“Customers can rest assured that the Mississippi Power restoration team is prepared to efficiently assess any damage and restore power quickly and safely,” Pinkston continued.

Mississippi Power encourages customers to take this time now, before a storm enters the Gulf, to prepare their homes and make sure their families have an updated storm plan of their own. A checklist of preparations and safety advice can be found on mississippipower.com.

Before, during or after a storm, customers who experience a power outage can view Mississippi Power’s online Outage Map using a smart phone, tablet or laptop anytime to report an outage and track utility crews as they work to safely restore power.

Customers can also report power outages by calling the dedicated outage line at 1-800-ITS DARK. For all other inquiries, call the customer service line at 1-800-532-1502.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Recognized throughout the utility industry for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts, is the 2013 winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Assistance Award. As a leader in safety, Mississippi Power ranked first in the 2013 Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE) Safety Performance Reports. Visit our website at www.mississippipower.com, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.