Pear River Valley Electric has made plans to react to any service problems caused by Tropical Storm Gordon as it passes through the Association’s 12-county service area in south Mississippi. The storm, which is predicted to possibly become a hurricane, is expected to make landfall in south Mississippi sometime late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
Employees will continue to respond to any outages as long as it is safe ot do so; however, sustained winds of 30 miles per hour or more would prevent line crews and servicemen from continuing to try to repair damage.
After the storm passes, employees will assess overall damage to the system and begin implementing plans for restoring power to all members as well as to vital community services. If there is extensive damage, restoration efforts could take several days. Outside crews from neighboring utilities can be brought in for assistance, if necessary, with a final decision expected to be made Wednesday morning about how many additional workers will be needed.
Once the storm passes, updated information about restoration will be provided regulary to all local media outlets. Storm related information can also be found at www.PRVEPA.com.
The number to report outages or downed lines 855-277-8372. Members should update their contact numbers in order to be able to report outages efficiently.
SAFETY/PRECAUTIONS
Anyone who sees a broken or burning wire should stay away and call Pear River Valley Electric or local authorities. Warn others to keep clear of the fallen line and avoid contact with trees, fences or anything else the line may be touching.
PORTABLE GENERATORS
During extended outages, some members may use portable generators at their homes or businesses. It’s very important to use all generators correctly. Do not use an extension cord to plug a generator into a household outlet. This can cause serious injury to you and/or restoration crews. Instead, only connect appliances directly to the generator. If you have any questions about the use of a generator, visit www.PRVEPA.com or call PRVEPA and ask for generator assistance.
REPORTING OUTAGES
Once the storm has moved through the area, members should replace any blown fuses or reset any tripped breakers in their homes. If the line connecting a house or business to the distribution pole is damaged, call to report an outage. If an entire neighborhood is without power, call once and then monitor news reports to follow restoration progress. Pearl River Valley Electric’s automated phone system is the fasted, easiest way to report and outage. It’s not necessary to talk with a customer service representative. The number to report outages or downed lines is 855-277-8372.
HOME ELECTRICAL DAMAGE
As Pearl River Valley Electric crews make repairs to the electric system it is important that members make sure the electric facilities at their homes or businesses are intact. Pearl River Valley Electric cannot restore electricity wherever electric meter boxes or service entrance pipes on the side of a facility are damaged. Members are responsible for contacting a licensed electrician to have those repairs made and may then call to have power restored.
