• Customers should never use a generator indoors. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to prevent accidents.

• Any indoor heaters, wood stoves or kerosene heaters should be properly ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

• DO NOT use outdoor grills indoors.

• Keep emergency supplies on hand, such as batteries, flashlights, a battery-operated radio, an emergency generator, a first aid kit, a non-electric can opener, and extra blankets.

• Keep a corded telephone on hand as cordless phones will not work if the power is out.

• Prepare a Winter Survival Kit that includes several days’ supply of the following items:

• Non-perishable food items that do not require cooking or refrigeration, such as bread, crackers, cereal, canned foods, and dried fruits. Remember to store baby food and formula if you have young children.

• Water stored in clean containers, or purchased bottle water (5 gallons per person).

• Medications and personal care supplies.

• If you have pets, bring them indoors. If you cannot bring them inside, provide adequate shelter to keep them warm and make sure they have access to unfrozen water.

Information provided by ready.gov

Before the storm, make sure you have an emergency supply kit with the following:

• Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

• Flashlight and extra batteries

• First aid kit

• Manual can opener for food

• Local maps

• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Before an outage occurs, it’s important to make sure the city has your most current telephone number on file so the outage can be accurately recorded. Please call (252) 467-4800 to update your number.

If you do lose power, first check your neighborhood. If you are the only one without power, check your fuse box for tripped circuit breakers or blown fuses. If that’s not the problem, call (252) 467-4800 to report a power outage, downed power lines or any electric, gas, water or sewer emergencies.

The city uses an automated system to handle customer calls as efficiently as possible. Customers who get an automated response when calling are encouraged to use it, as it is designed to route their calls to the right destination. If you have specific information regarding damage to wires, transformers or poles, the city asks that you stay on the line to speak with a representative to provide that information.

If an extended power outage occurs, restoring power at once can cause an overload on the system, and power may be lost again. During a power outage, customers should disconnect any appliances or electronics plugged into a power source. Customers should leave one light on as a way to detect when power is restored. This will let repair crews know what services have been restored. Customers are encouraged to gradually reconnect appliances once power has been restored.

Customers may check restoration progress on Facebook by following us at facebook.com/RockyMountPublicUtilities. However, please DO NOT report outages through the city’s social media pages.

Downed power lines may appear dead but should always be considered energized. STAY AWAY FROM ALL DOWNED POWER LINES. Do not approach or drive over a downed line. If a power line falls on a vehicle, passengers should stay in the vehicle until help arrives. If a limb has fallen on a line, do not attempt to remove it. Additionally, parents are urged to check for downed lines in areas where their children might play. Please call (252) 467-4800 to report a downed power line, or tree limbs that have fallen on a line, and the nearest cross street to the line.

“TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN.”

If flooding occurs, stay away from low spots, valleys or ditches and get to higher ground as soon as possible. Never drive through a flooded area, and remember not to walk through a flooded area. It only takes six inches of moving water to knock a person down.

Please slow down and be alert when driving past a city of Rocky Mount roadwork jobsite. Driving too fast can endanger employees and hamper their ability to perform important work. Employees use work area protection (i.e. traffic cones, utility work signs and flaggers) to allow them to do their jobs safely. Follow safe driving techniques to prevent fender-benders or more serious collisions that could delay our service technicians as they respond to customer calls or emergencies.

Individuals who rely on electricity to operate life-sustaining electronic equipment, such as a respirator or dialysis machine, should pre-register with the city of Rocky Mount. They should also inform their rescue squads and fire departments of their needs, in case of emergency. Customers with life-sustaining equipment should also have emergency back-up equipment on hand, since immediate restoration cannot be guaranteed.