Hurricane season started June 1. Although Medina EC’s service area is not directly in the path of hurricanes, we can be impacted by the strong winds, heavy rains, flooding, and tornadoes that spread 150-300 miles inland. This severe weather can cause power outages.
Medina EC suggests preparing now before storms approach. Know your risk for the type of hazardous weather that affects you and your family where you live. Make a family emergency plan to include if and where you will shelter-in-place, evacuation routes, how you will contact family members and creating an emergency preparedness kit.
Outage Reporting
Outages can be reported by calling 1-866-MEC-ELEC (632-3532) or by logging into SmartHub on your computer or the app on your phone. Please do not report outages through social media. Make sure your main phone line is registered on your account. That will make reporting power outages easier.
Sign up to get outage alerts sent to you. When Medina EC registers a meter without power, we can send an email or text to you. We can also send an updated notification when power is restored. Learn how to sign your account up by going to MedinaEC.org/SH.
Power Tips
When the power goes out, keep your freezers and refrigerators closed to maintain temperature inside and preserve food. According to Ready.gov, refrigerators will keep food cold for about four hours and a full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary.
Consider having power surge protection installed. If that is not possible, unplug major appliances during an outage. Generators should only be used outdoors and away from windows. Medina EC offers GenerLink, a safety device for generators. You can learn more about surge protection and GenerLink at MedinaEC.org/Products.
Members requiring an electronically operated medical device or refrigerated medicines should sign up for Medina EC’s Life Support Registry at MedinaEC.org/Registry. This does not prevent members from losing power or being disconnected for non-payment. It lists accounts as critical and are addressed first when restoring power.
Assume any downed power line is energized and do not approach it. Report downed lines to the electric utility and police and fire departments.
Medina EC understands that any power outage is inconvenient. In the event of outages, our crews will respond to have power restored as quickly as safely possible. Follow Medina EC on Facebook for updates on large power outages. For more information about power outages, visit MedinaEC.org/Outages.
