| Storms happen at any time, in any season. If they disrupt your power,
Marblehead Municipal Light Department (MMLD) emergency crews are available
year-round, day and night, to restore service as quickly as possible.
However, there are several things you can do before, during and after
a storm to minimize inconvenience and ensure your safety. |
| |
|
| Before the Storm |
 |
Place MMLD's emergency number ~ 781-631-0240 ~ on or near
the phone. |
|
Place working flashlights throughout the house and be sure
all family members know where they are. |
|
Have a battery-operated radio on hand for storm information |
|
Have extra flashlight and radio batteries ready. |
|
Have a corded telephone or cell phone available (cordless
phones will not work). |
|
First aid supplies and extra medications. |
|
Keep extra drinking water, a manual can opener and a supply
of canned and dried foods on hand, in case an outage lasts longer than
expected. |
|
Extra blankets and warm clothing |
|
If you have a baby, keep essential baby items and ready-to-use
formula on hand. |
|
If you depend on electronically operated life support equipment,
call us at
781-631-0240. |
| |
|
| During the Storm |
|
If your power does go out, first check to see if your neighbors have
power or if you have power in other parts of your home. (You may have simply
blown a fuse or tripped a circuit breaker.) If your home is the only one without
power, call our emergency number at 781-631-0240 for help identifying the source
of the problem. |
|
If your neighborhood is without power, call 781-631-0240 to make
sure we know about the outage or for updates on when service is expected to
be restored. Please make sure we have an accurate phone number for your records.
It is very important that we hear from you regarding your outage. When calling,
please be prepared to give your address, along with additional information
such as the location of downed lines or utility poles. |
|
Turn off any appliances that were on before the outage; unplug sensitive
appliances such as VCRs, TVs, computers, stereos and microwaves to avoid potential
power surge damage when electricity is restored. |
|
Leave a light switch on to alert you when power has been restored. |
|
Never burn charcoal indoors or use a gas range for heating. Both
could give off toxic fumes. |
|
NEVER TOUCH ANY FALLEN LINES OR ANYTHING TOUCHING FALLEN WIRES. Even
a downed wire may be dangerous! Report all fallen wires to MMLD at 781-631-0240. |
|
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Food should keep about
6 to 9 hours in a refrigerator without spoiling. Frozen food should keep about
24 hours. |
|
If you have a generator, use it safely. |
| |
|
Use Standby Generators Safely
If you have or are planning to buy a standby generator in case of an
outage, please observe the following safety guidelines: |
|
Check into all federal, state and local electric codes that
pertain to generators |
|
Have a licensed or qualified electrician install your generator |
|
Follow manufacturer's instructions for operating the generator
properly |
|
Make sure the generator has enough capacity to meet your
needs |
|
When operating the generator, the main circuit breaker must
be in the OFF position |
|
Never plug a generator directly into a wall outlet |
|
Generators should only be operated outdoors to ensure proper
ventilation of carbon monoxide exhaust |
|
Never operate a generator indoors regardless of the ventilation |
|
Choose a clean, dry , well ventilated location for your generator |
|
Store fuel in approved containers and out of reach of children |
|
Keep a proper rated fire extinguisher near the generator. |
| |
| After the Storm |
|
If service has been restored to your neighborhood and your
home is still without power, call us at 781-631-0240 |
|
If your home has flooded, check with an electrician before
turning anything on |
|
Gradually reconnect your appliances to avoid overloading
circuits when power is restored |
|
Replenish any supplies used during the storm. |
