My fellow members,
I am sure you are all aware of the storm conditions that appear to be heading our way. The prediction is that Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall somewhere in the Big Bend area of Florida around 11 PM Thursday. Forecasts have been evolving over the last several days and it seems with each update, the circumstances become more and more serious for our area. The original projected path was to the west of our service territory, but with each subsequent projection, it has moved further east. Now, it appears the path of Helene will follow the paths of both Debby and Idalia. The last update that I viewed indicated Helene would make landfall as potentially a category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph. Helene makes the third major storm event we have experienced in roughly a year.
Given that experience, we feel we have made improvements in our preparations with each major storm. We have already called upon approximately 400 extra workers to assist us with restoring service. We have also contacted individuals who supply support for that many contract workers, which includes, food, lodging, and laundry services. When Colquitt EMC is in storm mode, it is all hands on deck for all CEMC Employees. With that being said, we have decided to close all offices for business on Friday, September 27, so that all office employees can assist in the outage restoration effort.
We are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst. I am urging you now do the same for your businesses and households. Here are some tips on preparing for power outages and severe weather:
To report a power outage:
- Save the Outage Reporting #: 1-855-293-1804
- Know your CEMC Account Number
- Download the FREE Colquitt EMC Mobile App in the Apple App Store or Google Play
- Check the Outage Map
- Log into your Colquitt EMC Account Portal
Basic Disaster Supplies:
- Non-perishable food & can opener – at least a 3-day supply of non-perishable food
- Bottled water – at least 3 gallons per person, for drinking & hygiene
- First Aid Kit
- Prescription Medication
- Hygiene items
- Battery-operated radio or hand crank NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries
- Spare batteries
- Flashlights
- Extra clothing
- Extra cash
- Emergency charger for mobile devices
Colquitt EMC will continue to watch this storm closely. We encourage members who rely on electric medical devices to organize a plan for their needs during an extended power outage. For a complete list of items and additional information, go to www.ready.gov/kit. Take time now to prepare! We will continue to update you throughout the week.
Sincerely,
Danny Nichols
President/CEO