Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst
Dear Members,
It’s mid-November as I write this, and our forecast is showing winter weather will soon come to the valley. It’s a good time to prepare for storms and outages that could affect your electric and internet service.
Winter storms can cause multiple trouble spots in our service area. When storms hit, we prioritize our response to restore outages affecting the largest numbers of customers first. Sometimes, we need to quickly deenergize additional lines to safely complete repairs or minimize equipment damage. Your patience and understanding during the repair process are greatly appreciated.
Our employees who answer outage calls usually do not have information about the causes of specific outages or know when repairs will be completed. Our repair priorities may change with evolving conditions or events. When outages are widespread, call takers will need to keep conversations brief. When reporting an outage, please be prepared to provide your name, address, and phone number. It’s also helpful to know if you have seen trees on lines, broken wires, or other potential outage causes.
Please remember, if you see a downed line, stay at least 50 feet away, keep others away and call (541) 354-1233 immediately to report it. Downed lines can be energized even if they look harmless.
When outages hit, we work as quickly as safety allows to restore your service. But restoration during major storms can sometimes take a few days. That’s why we encourage you to prepare in advance. A home emergency kit can help you and your family stay safe and comfortable while we complete our repair work. To learn about preparing for winter weather and possible outages, visit https://hoodriver.coop/safety/outage-preparation.
Safely restoring your service is our highest priority when storms hit. Rest assured, our crews are ready to answer the call if the need arises. Let’s all hope for a trouble-free and enjoyable winter season!
Libby Calnon
General Manager