When Thunderstorms CauseUtility Outages storm causes a power outage. The lightning, hail, flooding and high winds that thunderstorms can bring may lead to powerblackouts and other service disturbances that can last from a few hours to several weeks. These tips may help you deal with the unexpected effects of a iN —— important to know whatto do if a Tenn vane (NAPSA)—Now that thunder- storm season is upon us it is 1 A permanently installed auto- matic standby generator can help bad storm: If You Have No Water—Call guard against power outages caused by thunderstorms. to report the issue. Keep bottled against power outages and surges about a gallon of water per person per day, and extraif you havepets. installed, automatic standby powergenerator. the public worksoffice or town hall water for an emergency. Count on Fill the tub and spare containers with water for sanitation uses. A pail of water poured into the bowl can flusha toilet. If You Smell Gas—Leave your house immediately and dial 911 from a cell phone or neighbor’s house. Also, do not operateelectri- cal appliances or switches and don’t light a match or smoke. altogether with a permanently These generators will automatically come on when the power goes out and shut off when the power comes back on. Plus, the American Red Cross says permanently installed stationary generators are better suited for provid- ing backup power to a home than portables. You can find permanently If You Lose Power—Keepthe installed generators such as the keep cold air trapped inside. Food offer the highest output of any refrigerator door closed to help can stay cold in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours andin a freezer for up to 48 hours. Keep a flashlight in each room of your house along with spare batteries. A battery-powered radio can also prove useful in providing updated weather conditions and emergency information. Protect against voltage surges when the poweris restored by unplugging sensitive electronic equipment, or better yet guard Generac Guardian series that generator of their kind starting under $2,000. They run on natural gas or liquid propane vapor and have no extension cords to plug in, gas tanks to fill or switches toflip. Considering that power outages can cause food to spoil, secu- rity systems to shut down and sump pumpsto fail, the right gen- erator could be a wise investment. For more information, visit www.generac.com.
