Hundreds of crews from Gulf Power Company’s sister companies, which include Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and Georgia Power, are at the ready to mobilize to Northwest Florida to help restore electric service should Isaac make landfall here.

In addition, almost a thousand workers from neighboring utilities also have been recruited.

 

“We can always count on the strength of Southern Company to bolster our power restoration efforts,” said Jeff Rogers with Gulf Power. “We’re prepared for widespread power outages if Isaac makes landfall anywhere in our service area, and it’s great to have the experienced crews from our sister companies on standby to help."



 

If Isaac should make landfall further to the west and Northwest Florida has minimum impact from the storm, Gulf Power and Southern Company will assist utilities in those areas. 

 

While it's too soon to know where Isaac will make landfall, Gulf Power is preparing as if the looming storm will make a direct hit and asks that its customers be prepared as well. Rogers said a direct hit by a category three hurricane could mean power outages of up to two weeks for the hardest hit areas.

 

“We’re prepared and every Gulf Power employee has a special storm assignment which helps us restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” said Rogers. “If Isaac does indeed make landfall in Northwest Florida, we ask our customers to be prepared for widespread, lengthy outages.

 

The company's preparations include making arrangements with vendors to bring in large inventories of poles, wires, transformers and other equipment; planning to set up staging sites where workers can sleep, eat, wash their clothes, refuel their trucks and have tools repaired and making sure aircraft will be available to perform damage assessments immediately after the storm.

 

“Should we be impacted by the storm, we thank our customers in advance for their patience as our crews work hard to restore everyone’s power,” Rogers said. “Our crews have kept sharp assisting other utilities throughout the year, so we’re ready to get out there and make a difference.”

 

Customers can follow updates on Gulf Power’s Facebook page or Twitter feed: www.facebook.com/gulfpowercompany or www.twitter.com/gulfpower. Customers can also report outages on their mobile phone at www.gulfpower.com. Just click the “Log In” button in the “My Account” box.

 

The Gulf Power Storm Center website covers such subjects as Preparation and Safety, Restoration Process, Meter Box Damage, Generator Safety, Power Outage FAQs and General Storm Tips.

 

Here are some power line and generator safety tips from the Gulf Power Storm Center site:

·         Treat any downed wire as if it is energized. You can't tell by looking if a downed wire is live or not. Telephone or cable television wires that are touching a power line could become energized and should also be avoided. Notify Gulf Power, your local emergency agency, or call 911 to report the location of any downed lines.
 

·         Don't attempt to repair the electrical system or pull tree limbs off lines. Let trained work crews perform this potentially dangerous work.
 

·         Stay clear of areas with substantial debris or downed trees because it could conceal an energized power line. Also stay clear of chain link fences which may be energized if touching a downed line.
 

·         Wait a reasonable time before calling Gulf Power if your entire neighborhood is without power.
 

·         If you have an electric generator, please ensure that you have isolated your home or business from the utility electrical service lines by opening main breakers or other devices.
 

·         Do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and to Gulf Power employees working on the lines in your neighborhood.
 

·         Connect only essential appliances — such as freezers and refrigerators — directly to the generator.
 

·         NEVER use a generator in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. Generators can produce high levels of carbon monoxide very quickly. When you use a portable generator, remember that you cannot smell or see carbon monoxide.
 

·         NEVER try to power the house wiring by plugging the generator into a wall outlet, a practice known as "back-feeding." This is an extremely dangerous practice that presents an electrocution risk to utility workers and neighbors served by the same utility transformer. It also bypasses some of the built-in household circuit-protection devices.

 

Here are some more storm tips from the Gulf Power Storm Center site:

·         Turn your air conditioning down to cool down your house before the storm. If you keep the doors and windows closed you can keep your house relatively cool for about 48 hours after the storm.

·         Charge your cell phone before the storm — and anything else that needs to be charged.

·         Keep freezer doors closed and sealed. Well-filled freezers keep most foods frozen two to three days if the door is kept closed.

·         Be prepared to disconnect or shut off any appliances that will turn on automatically when power is restored. When power is restored, appliances may overload your circuits or pose fire hazards.

·         Leave a porch light switched on so that utility crews will be able to determine immediately the success of specific repairs.

Log on to gulfpower.com for more information on storm safety.

 

 

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 430,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely provide exceptional customer value by delivering reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible electricity while strengthening our communities. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”

 

 

 

 

 

###