by: Lena Takada
Posted: / Updated:
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4)- Winter storms can cause power outages in several different ways.
“One of the big issues with this is the weight of the snow coming down on those branches, breaking those branches and then coming onto the lines,” says Tiffany Erickson, a spokesperson for Rocky Mountain Power.
Rocky Mountain Power works year-round to mitigate power outages by doing things like trimming trees near powerlines. It also has meteorologists on staff so it can be prepared when an outage does happen. “That preparation includes anything from having crews on stand-by, or making sure we have resources and equipment and tools available to make those restoration efforts as soon as possible,” says Erickson.
And while crews continue to work to restore power for those who are still experiencing outages, Erickson says power outages are hard to prevent, and customers should be prepared for outages whenever winter weather is in the forecast. “We agree with local and state emergency management organizations that say be prepared for at least 72 hours to be without power or services,” says Erickson.
This means having coats, blankets, food, batteries and flashlights, among other things, on hand. And if you do experience an outage, contact your power company, both to report the outage and to get information about it.
“We do understand that any outage is really super inconvenient so that’s why we’ve got crews and additional resources working to make those restorations,” says Erickson.
