Weather

To Report an Outage: Call 800-338-5530

Living in North Carolina means that you should be prepared for unpredictable weather. During hurricane season in the summer, electrical systems are vulnerable to mother nature's wrath. In the event of any outage, crews from South River EMC work round the clock to restore electric service to its members as quickly as possible. We work to restore power to the largest population of members the quickest. Transmission lines and substations are given top priority for repair since this will restore power to hundreds or thousand of people. Next Primary Distribution Feeders are restored starting with three phase lines, to second phase lines and lastly individual service drops. Click here for more information on how we restore power following a storm. Remember whenever bad weather strikes our area there is the potential for a loss of electric service, it is a good idea to know what to do if the power goes out. Also, visit our Hurricane Awareness page for more information.

Interested in tracking tropical storms and hurricanes this season? Check out the Hurricane Tracking Chart provided here.

Preparedness Tips:

• When a Hurricane Watch is issued you should take the following steps to ensure you are ready in the event the hurricane does hit your area: Fuel your cars; do not wait until a Hurricane Warning is issued.
• Check your emergency supplies and stock up on items that are needed.
• Ensure you have enough food and containers for your water supply. Set refrigerator and freezer at their highest settings, do not open needlessly.
• If evacuation has not already been recommended or ordered, consider leaving early to avoid long hours on the roads. Remember that weather conditions will deteriorate quickly as the hurricane approaches.
• Communicate with your family members often and be ready to act quickly should a warning be issued. Time is on your side at this point, but conditions can change hour to hour.
• Stay tuned to television and radio for official bulletins of the hurricane's progress.

Hurricane Warning issued, take the following steps:

• If you live in a manufactured home, secure it and evacuate.
• If your doctor has advised that any ill or disabled persons in your home stay elsewhere, move them now.
• If an evacuation order is issued, lock your home and leave.
• Prepare for high winds by bracing garage doors, lowering antennas, and anchoring loose objects that are outside and that cannot be brought indoors.
• If you own a boat, move it to a secure area.
• Keep your radio, flashlights and extra batteries nearby. The power may go off without warning. Avoid using candles, but if you must, NEVER LEAVE THEM UNATTENDED!
• During the hurricane, resist temptation to go outside or watch through the windows. Hurricane force winds, downed live power lines and falling or flying debris all pose serious dangers.
• As the winds increase, move to a room within a room, such as an interior closet or bathroom.
• If the 'eye' moves over your location, again resist the urge to go outside. Hurricane force winds, heavy rains and accompanying dangers will resume rapidly. Winds will return from the opposite direction.

After the Storm:

• If you have evacuated, wait until authorities say it is safe before returning home.
• Avoid loose or dangling power lines; immediately report them to the power company.
• Check refrigerated foods for spoilage and discard rotten food.
• Be aware of snakes, bees and other dangerous animals that may be more aggressive as a result of the storm. Also, animals may take refuge on your property if it is dry and their habitat is flooded.
• Use extreme caution when using chainsaws.
• Call 911 only in emergencies. Remember that emergency crews will be overwhelmed during the recovery period.          
• Do not leave the house if possible. Streets may be blocked, power lines down and street lights malfunctioning or out. It is safest to stay home.
• In recent years many people have purchased portable generators to get through these outages with the least amount of inconvenience. If you are operating a portable generator, read all instructions carefully. Portable generator safety is very important! Never run a generator in the home or plug the generator into your homes electrical system. This can cause a danger for electrical workers. Also, be sure you turn your generator off before refueling.
  • Click here for tips on How To Operate A Portable Generator Safely.

Avoiding Further Outages :

When your electricity goes out, look outside and see if your neighbors are also in the dark. If they’re not, check your fuse box or circuit breaker to see if you can locate the problem. When you call South River EMC to report an outage, please have your account number handy.

Although crews are working to restore electricity, it could be a day or so before all repairs can be made. Once the electricity is restored, circuits can be overloaded if members do not take measures to prevent this occurrence. Here are some steps to take to avoid further outages caused by overloaded circuits:

• Turn off every inside light except one.
• Turn up your thermostat to around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If the outage lasts more than one hour, turn off your electric water heater.
• Make sure our stove and oven are turned off.
• Turn off all unnecessary appliances including your heating and cooling system.
• Avoid opening the freezer door. A full, freestanding freezer will keep food at freezing temperatures about two days; a half-full freezer about one day. For more information about food safety during and after a power outage, call the county office of the N. C. Cooperative Extension Service, or dial the USDA Food Safety Hotline at 1-800-535-4555.
• If you see a downed power line, STAY AWAY!! And call your electric company at once.
• Leave your porch light on so utility workers will know when your power has been restored.
• When power comes back on, slowly switch your appliances and lights back on and gradually return your thermostat to its normal setting.