The Walton EMC Blog

Don't Get Caught!

Even though NOAA's Climate Prediction Center says this year's winter will be warmer and drier than normal, that doesn't mean there's not a chance for frozen precipitation.

The nemesis of power lines in the South is the pine tree. It seems they actively look for power lines to fall across. Their soft wood, coarse growth rings and top-heavy design make them perfect for the task when frozen precipitation builds on needles and limbs.

That means not only do our line technicians have to put the wires back together when your power goes out; they also end up doing a fair amount of tree work just to get to the downed lines.

If you're new to our area, snow doesn't usually present a problem. If the flakes are dry and small, and we get a little help from the wind, snow tends not to stick to pine trees.

If you were around in March 2008, you lived through an exception to that rule. An unusually heavy, wet and rapid snowfall kept some homes on Walton EMC's system in the dark for up to four days.

The real terror to power company employees is ice. The largest outages ever on Walton EMC's electric system were caused by ice storms.

The biggest was in 2000. Remember Y2K, the biggest non-event in history? We all held our breath on New Year's Eve and nothing happened. Little did we know in just three weeks we'd be hit with back-to-back ice storms.

The first hit on the weekend when Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl. Just when we thought things were getting back to normal, another ice storm hit at the end of the week. Thankfully it turned out to be small.

You will do well to take a few precautions just in case we're surprised by an ice storm this winter. Check the Storm Center on waltonemc.com for all types of information, including how to prepare for a winter storm, what to do if the lights go out and power outage frequently asked questions.

And hopefully all this preparation will be for nothing.

 

 

Winter Precipitation Predicted

No doubt you've heard (unless you're in hibernation) snow is in the forecast tonight. In case of outages, here are a few quick reminders:

• Lots of outage-related info can be found on our website under Storm Center.
• Please do NOT report outages via Facebook, Twitter or by commenting on the blog. Outages can be reported online via the Storm Center or by calling 770.267.2505. 
• In case of outages, we'll be sharing up-to-date information on Twitter, Facebook, the blog and our website. 
• If you have someone with a medical necessity for electricity, you should have a contingency plan in place and be ready to activate it if your power goes out. This includes backup power, extra medical supplies, or an alternate location until the outage is over. Make sure supplies of prescription drugs are adequate and have a first-aid kit on-hand.

For more info on outages and winter weather, check out these recent blog posts:

When Your Power Goes Out (How we restore power in large outages.)

Reporting an Outage and Following Updates

Ready or Not (Prepare for outages and winter weather.)

When your power goes out

Have you ever wondered what happens when the power goes out? Yes, we all know it gets dark. But how do Walton EMC crews decide whose power to turn on first? 

No, it's not based on how friendly - or unfriendly - you are on the phone (though we appreciate a friendly voice), or whether or not you've ever commented on our blog (though we appreciate comments). 

Think of power restoration as a big to small concept - an upside down triangle, if you will. Our crews work to restore power to the most consumers first and tackle the small, isolated issues last. 

 

Toward the top of the triangle would be substations. Substations are the hubs that connect transmission lines to main circuits. Main circuits, just under substations in the triangle, carry power throughout our service territory. They are the backbone of our system. 

Moving down the triangle, below main circuits, are taps, which carry power to a smaller number of consumers (such as a subdivision) from the main circuits. And finally at the bottom there are service wires, supplying power to just one or two locations.

Obviously, it makes more sense to start at the top and work our way to the bottom. It would be pointless to prepare a service wire to a location if the tap was also out. For a more detailed description of the process, click here.

So that's what we do when the power goes out. Of course, there a lots more dedicated employees who work long hours to answer phones, alert the media to updates and other behind-the-scenes work, too.

There are also things you can do when the power goes out, from staying safe to making yourself a little more comfortable sans electricity. Our storm center is a great resource for all things outage related.

If your power goes out - reporting an outage and following updates

Power outages due to wintry weather are a possibility this time of year, but following certain methods to report your outage can mean a faster restoration time and less work for you. 

Follow our outage reporting tips if one occurs at your home or business. Our website makes it easy to report outages online via the storm center. In order to take advantage of this feature, we must have your correct phone number on file. To check, just look at your bill and be sure that the phone number matches the number you'll be calling from. If it needs to be updated, just call our call center at 770/267.2505 to update it soon.

 

Please don't try to report an outage via twitter, Facebook or the blog. We will be using all of those methods to keep you updated on outages, but our crews will be alerted to your outage much faster if you use on of the methods suggested on our website.

In addition to finding info here, on Facebook and on twitter, we'll also post regular updates to our website. You can find a map of current outages here.

Ready or not...

Winter is here. And so is the possibility of an ice storm. And of course with that comes the possibility of something we really don't like to talk about - power outages.

There's lots you can do to prepare for outages due to winter storms and also things that you can do once a storm hits to make "going without" a little easier. This week, we'll be blogging all about it, so check back to be sure you've got the 411 before the storms get here.

We're going to kick it off with things you can do to prepare in advance for a storm.

Of course we do all that we can to prevent outages from happening in the first place, including regular maintenance of our equipment as well as regular right-of-way maintenance. But in the event of wintry weather, heavy ice can pull down large limbs and power lines - something that can't be prevented.

It's always good to be prepared, though! Here's a checklist of items to be sure you have on hand:

• Light: Keep battery powered flashlights and lanterns with extra batteries in a place you can easily access.
• Water: if you are on a well, have plenty of clean water in jugs on hand for drinking. Also, fill up bathtubs with water for flushing toilets. 
• Food: You'll want to have non-perishable foods that don't have to be cooked - like peanut butter, crackers and canned fruit. 
• Heat: Have lots of extra blankets and clothes on hand. If you have a fireplace, be sure there is an adequate supply of wood.
• Information: Remember that cordless phones won't work if the power is out. And don't forget to charge your cell phone battery. If you have a phone that can access the internet, you'll be able to report outages and get storm updates straight from our website.
• Medical plans: Have a contingency plan already in place if you have someone with a medical necessity for electricity in your home. This includes back-up power, extra medical supplies or an alternate location.
• Standby power: This one's optional in most cases, but if you do have a generator, be sure that you have a properly installed transfer switch.

For more info on storm preparedness and lots of helpful links, check out our website.