Hurricane Preparation
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1467953
Page 26 BY FPL Florida Power & Light urges Floridians to be prepared and be aware of potential electrical haz- ards at all times, especially before, during and after severe weather. Keep your family safe during hurricane season. BEFORE A STORM • Before storm season begins on June 1, have your trees properly trimmed to minimize their potential impact on your home and neighborhood. Make sure debris is cleared prior to a hurricane warning an- nouncement, when trash pickup is suspended. • Do not attempt to trim any vegetation growing on or near any overhead power lines. Only specially trained line-clearing professionals should work around pow- er lines. Hire a contractor qualifi ed to trim vegetation around power lines. • If someone in your home is dependent on elec- tric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan for backup power or make arrangements to relocate when a storm warning is issued. • Install an approved hur- ricane shutter system over windows and doors or use alternate coverings such as plywood. • Keep your family or busi- ness safe with a plan that includes evacuation routes, special medical needs, im- portant phone numbers and supplies. Keep a copy of your utility bills. PREPARING FOR AN APPROACHING STORM • Before lowering a TV antenna or taking down a satellite dish, make sure to turn o and unplug the TV, and avoid power lines. • Turn o all swimming pool pumps and fi lters. Wrap them in waterproof materials. • Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings ahead of time to keep food fresh longer in the event of a power outage. • Turn o and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment. • When working on a ladder, look up and note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or sca olds are far enough away so that you — and the ends of the tools you're using — don't come within 10 feet of power lines. AFTER THE STORM • Stay away from standing water and debris, which could potentially conceal a live wire. • Don't venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous. • Watch for downed power lines. Call 911 or FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE to report fallen power lines that pres- ent a clear and imminent danger to you or others. Do not attempt to touch any power lines. Keep your fami- ly and pets away from them. • If your roof or windows leak, water in your walls and ceiling may come into contact with electrical wir- ing. Immediately turn o your circuit breakers, dis- connect all electrical appli- ances that are still plugged in, and turn o all wall switches. Remember, never stand in water while operat- ing switches or unplugging any electrical device. DEALING WITH OUTAGES When outages occur, FPL crews work to restore power as soon as it is safe to begin. Crews provide their best estimates as to when service will be restored. As soon as FPL detects an outage or a customer reports an outage, we deploy a resto- ration specialist to conduct a situation assessment. This helps the company assign the right resources, workers and materials to each res- toration e ort and provide customers an estimate of when repairs will be fi nished and when power is restored in their area. During large outages, FPL follows an overall plan that calls for restoring power to the greatest number of cus- tomers safely and as quickly as possible. POWER RESTORATION After a strong storm or hurricane, FPL's restoration process is as follows: • Restore power plants and a ected transmission lines and substations, which are essential to providing any electric service. • Restore power to elec- trical lines and equipment that serve critical facilities, such as hospitals, police/ fi re stations, water treat- ment plants and emergency broadcast centers. • Return service to the largest number of custom- ers in the shortest amount of time — including service to the main thoroughfares that host supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and other needed communi- ty services. • Repair the infrastructure serving smaller groups and neighborhoods, converging on the hardest-hit areas until every customer is restored. If a storm strikes, FPL will provide updated restoration time estimates and other progress reports on its web- site (FPL.com/storm), Twit- ter (twitter.com/insideFPL), Facebook (facebook.com/ FPLconnect), YouTube (you- tube.com/FPL), FPL's blog (FPLblog.com) and FPL's Power Tracker (FPL.com/ powertracker). For more information, visit these websites: NextEr- aEnergy. com, FPL.com, or NextEraEnergyResources. com. PHOTO PROVIDED If your roof or windows leak, water in your walls and ceiling may come into contact with electrical wiring. Immediately turn off your circuit breakers, disconnect all electrical appliances that are still plugged in and turn off all wall switches. Questions to ask if a family member is in an assisted living facility BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE Here are some questions to ask if you have a family member who resides in an assisted living facility or nursing home in an area where a storm may hit. 1. Does the facility have a currently approved Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan? (If yes, ask to see a copy of the approval letter. If no, ask why, as it is required.) 2. Do you maintain a minimum 72- hour supply of food, water, medica- tions, etc. for each resident? 3. Do you have an emergency gen- erator? (If yes, to what does it supply power during a blackout?) 4. Can my family member be released to me for the purpose of evacuation? 5 If my family member evacuates with me, who do I contact to determine when the facility is open and operat- ing? 6. Under what circumstances would my family member be evacuated by the facility? 7. Who will notify me of the impend- ing evacuation of my family member? 8. Whom should I call to receive cur- rent information on my family member? 9. What facilities might my family member be evacuated to? Where are they located? 10. Who will notify me that my family member is returning to this facility? Families often are concerned about relatives residing in assisted living facilities and nursing homes during hurricane season. TNS PHOTO Keep your family & home safe