Tuesday | October 22, 2019
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Preparing for Outages in Wet Conditions

Patrick Soukup

By: Patrick Soukup, Manager of Member Services/Marketing

The wet conditions have made it a difficult year for planting crops, keeping basements dry, completing construction projects, and more.

Unfortunately, we could be facing the same wet conditions again next spring.

Please prepare your home and operation for an outage situation. We maintain our power equipment to maximize reliability. However, as we all know, Midwest weather can cause issues out of our control. 

Additionally, outage restoration time could be delayed by the numerous road and bridge closures across our area.

During an outage, our primary focus is to safely restore power as quickly as possible. However, our members likely have other responsibilities, including maintaining a household, livestock, or going to work and leaving home. To prepare, consider some of the following:

  • Purchase a sump pump battery back-up. If you are relying on a sump pump to keep your basement dry, even a short outage can be an issue. A battery back-up can range from $150 - $500 or more. A visit to your hardware store can help you find one to meet your needs. Even having a replacement sump pump or a sump pump alarm is a good idea. 

  • Install a generator. This is a more expensive option. However, it can quickly pay for itself in certain situations or, at minimum, provide peace of mind. The size and price of the generator will depend on what you’d like to power during an outage, whether it be a few select appliances or the bulk of your household. 

  • Exercise your generator. If you do have a generator, make sure it’s in good working condition. Check and purchase new oil, filters, and fuel. Also ensure that your generator will carry the load you want it to power in an outage. Educate yourself on the dangers of “backfeeding” power and carbon monoxide poisoning to keep you and your family safe. 

If you have any questions, give our office or your local electrician a call. Making preparations will make your life much easier, and easier on your family, in case of any issues.