CL&P Urges Residents To Be Prepared For Summer Storms

BERLIN — With the official start of summer having come just last weekend, so too has the summer storm season. The Connecticut Light and Power Company (CL&P) offers the following simple tips to help customers prepare for whatever weather comes their way.

Before a storm, prepare a “storm kit” and keep it handy. It should include flashlights with spare batteries, a battery-operated radio or TV, first-aid kit, canned, freeze-dried, or dehydrated foods, a manual can opener, bottled water, baby supplies (if applicable), and important phone numbers.

During a storm, keep your battery-operated radio or TV tuned to local broadcast stations for the latest weather conditions. As CL&P crews patrol for damage, residents can help identify emergency situations such as downed wires by calling 800-286-2000.

If your home loses power, CL&P’s automated phone system rapidly processes your report and also provides restoration information as soon as it is available.

Assume any downed, hanging, or burning power lines are live and stay away from them. If a power line falls on your vehicle while you are inside, stay there. Don’t touch anything outside the vehicle. Wait for emergency crews.

After a storm, safety is CL&P’s first priority. Before crews respond to individual outages, they work to make an area safe by de-energizing any downed wires and removing all potential hazards such as snapped poles. At the same time, they work to ensure electricity is maintained to hospitals, police stations, and other vital public services. Once public safety is protected, CL&P can begin to restore power.

Homeowners and renters can protect their own safety, as well. Following a storm, plug appliances in one at a time. If the lighting seems too bright, dim, or is flickering, turn off the circuit breaker and contact CL&P for assistance.

For customers with life-sustaining medical equipment, CL&P maintains a list of customers who depend on electrically powered, life-sustaining medical equipment in their homes, such as chest respirators and kidney machines. If you, a member of your household, or a tenant are dependent on such medical equipment, call 800-286-2000 to make sure your home is on that list.

CL&P also reminds customers with life-sustaining equipment to develop a backup plan to cope with storm-related outages. That plan should include an alternate source of electric power such as a battery backup system, an uninterruptible power supply or a properly installed generator for the life support equipment, emergency telephone numbers (doctor, fire, police, and ambulance), and a plan procedure to vacate your home if there is a prolonged outage.