Idaho Power: How to Prepare for the Worst

We are so thankful that in Idaho we do not have the natural disasters that we see in other parts of the country or the world. We don't have to worry too much about tornadoes, hurricanes, or other extreme weather conditions. We have had earthquakes in the past and occasionally strong winds.

Weather can cause a loss of power, so what do you do if you lose power? Suddenly you go from the life of luxury, big screen TV refrigerator with lots of food to being literally left in the dark? Idaho Power has released an informational packet on what you should do if you lose power. Is it possible to be prepared for loss of power? Please keep those folks that are recovering from Hurricane Ida.

September is National Preparedness Month, and Idaho Power is reminding customers to be prepared for possible power outages year around. With wildfires still burning throughout the region and late-summer storms always a possibility, it’s important to prepare for potential power outages, no matter the season.

Although Idaho Power keeps the lights on 99.9% of the time, when outages do occur due to extreme weather or fires, they can last hours or even days. Here are ways you can be ready for, and informed about, outages:

What you can do now to prepare:

Assemble a home emergency outage kit. Review the checklist at idahopower.com/outagetips for items to include in your kit.
Sign up to receive alerts of outages at your residence through My Account.
Bookmark Idaho Power’s live outage map at idahopower.com/outage for easy access if your power goes out.
Learn how to manually open security gates and garage doors.

If your power does go out:

Check Idaho Power’s Outage Map. If you don’t see your outage, you can report it online or by phone at 1-800-488-6151 (toll-free) or 208-388-2323 in the Treasure Valley.
Turn off any appliances or machinery that were in use before the outage to protect them and prevent circuits from overloading when power is restored. Keep one light on so you know when power has been restored.
Avoid opening refrigerator and freezer doors to keep food cold longer, and keep a large block of ice in the freezer.
If you notice a downed power line, stay at least 100 feet back and report it to Idaho Power by calling 1-800-488-6151.

To learn more about being prepared for outages, watch this video on Idaho Power’s top five outage tips, and visit idahopower.com/outagetips.

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