Don’t call 911 if a storm or hurricane knocks out power in South Carolina. Here’s what to do
One of the biggest risks a storm poses to parts of the state is widespread power outages. These outages could last just a few minutes or days, depending on the breadth of the damage and how long it takes crews to fix.
Santee Cooper provides power to much of Horry and Georgetown counties, as well as parts of the Charleston area and produces power for millions of residents in other parts of the state. Spokeswoman Tracy Vreeland says they will have crews out around the clock to address power outages until the storm is over.
Vreeland says Santee Cooper prepares each year for hurricane season. Throughout the year, the utility has tree trimming crews clearing out limbs that get too close to power lines to help ensure that no storm, even a small one, can cause a major outage.
The company also installed smart meters at all the properties it serves, which means customers do not have to call to report a power outage. The smart meters will notify the company immediately of the problem.
“We know when the power goes out, you don’t have call us anymore,” she said. “So people feel more comfortable calling us, and that is just fine. They can, but for the most part, we should know that your power is out.”
The best thing for customers to do, Vreeland says, is to track their restoration time at stormcenter.santeecooper.com, which will have the latest information on how long the company expects to need to fix the outage.
“That’s an interactive map. You can pull up where your house is and see what the cause was and when they think they’ll have it back on,” she said.
Potential hiccups
Depending on how strong a hurricane is when it arrives, Santee Cooper might not be able to immediately fix power in some areas.
The reason is anytime wind gusts exceed 35 mph, crews cannot safely raise the bucket trucks that they use to make repairs to power lines.
“They’ll have to hunker down and just wait for for those wind speeds to die down. But once they do, they’re back out working,” she says. “We’re restoring power in some places while it’s going out in others. And then we’re moving over and restoring power, so we’re working the entire time.”
Another issue could be tornadoes, Vreeland says, or extensive flooding that prevents crews from getting where they need to make repairs.
“If it’s something severe, our first priority is to keep our crew safe,” she said. “Our second is to get the power back on.”
Vreeland says it’s hard to know which areas are most likely to end up with a power outage, but there is one underlying cause of most outages.
Trees.
Trees cause the vast majority of power outages, Vreeland says, because wind gusts knock them into power lines, damaging the equipment that utility companies use to get power to homes. As a result, areas with a lot of trees near power lines are much more likely to end up with outages than others.
Mostly, “it just depends on where the wind gusts are, and every storm is different,” Vreeland says.
Other tips for handling a power outage
Vreeland also shared some tips from Santee Cooper for how best to prepare for a potential power outage, as well as what to do when one happens.
Here’s what the utility advises. (In general, this advice also applies to people who live in areas served by other power companies.)
- Charge everything: Phones, laptops, flashlights, and keep back up batteries and fully charged battery packs for all of them. Try to use surge protectors, as well, to protect all your tech when it’s plugged in.
- Be careful with generators. If you plan to use one, make sure it is outside. Not in a garage. Outside. Generators produce toxic carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide and cannot be safely run indoors.
- Make sure you follow the directions on the generators exactly as the directions describe. If the generator accidentally back feeds into the power line, it could hide the fact that a line needs to be fixed.
- If you see a downed power line, stay away from it. If you’re in the car, do not drive over it. The line could be hot and could shock, or worse, dangerously electrocute you.
- Downed power lines can also hide underwater in the event of flooding, making the usual “turn around, don’t drown” advice even more pertinent.
Finally, do not call 911 if you have a power outage. Call your local power company. Calling 911 will clog up the line with unnecessary calls during an emergency when operators need to be focused on the most pressing issues.
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Don’t call 911 if a storm or hurricane knocks out power in South Carolina. Here’s what to do."
