Skip to Content

Prepare For Outages

SPRING…SUMMER…FALL…WINTER—IT HAPPENS!!!

Power outages can happen anywhere – at any time. So, we would like to give you, our customers, a few tips about how to make these times less stressful and inconvenient and also how to best assist us in restoring your power as quickly as possible.

First, when you call the office to report an outage, we ask that you please keep your call as brief as possible so that we may answer all calls as quickly as possible. Be prepared to provide:

  • Your name, phone number, and location
  • Whether power is off, dim, or flickering
  • Whether you heard any noise at the time of the outage
  • Whether you notice any trees or branches on the wires
  • Whether you notice if there are broken wires or wires on the ground

The TPUD wires are at the top of the poles. Wires in the middle of the poles are generally telephone or cable TV wires. If any line is down, please do not go near it, as it could possibly be a "live" wire.

Keep In Mind

The most commonly asked question during outages is When will the power be restored? We are often not able to answer that question with any certainty, particularly at times when the cause of the outage is unknown. Once a problem is located, staff will do their best to give you a ROUGH estimate as to when the repairs may be completed – but we beg your patience, as this is an ESTIMATE ONLY and frequently during storms there may be another problem on the line that will not be discovered until the first problem is resolved.

ARE YOU PREPARED???

Things To Keep On Hand

  1. Flashlights with fresh batteries.
  2. Water and non-perishable foods.
  3. Blankets/warm clothes.
  4. Cell phone or hardwire single line phone.

Protect your equipment until the power is restored by unplugging appliances and electronic equipment such as TVs and microwaves.

IMPORTANT

IF YOU OR A FAMILY MEMBER IS ON ANY TYPE OF LIFE SUPPORT OR OXYGEN THERAPY, PLEASE PLAN FOR THE WORST. STORE EXTRA OXYGEN AND HAVE A BACKUP SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY IF POSSIBLE. WE ARE COOPERATING WITH SEVERAL LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS TO ASSIST THOSE CUSTOMERS WITH THE GREATEST NEED BUT BEING PREPARED IS IMPORTANT!!!