Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative warns of power outages due to Irma

Updated: Sep. 10, 2017 at 1:58 PM CDT
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The following is a press release from Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative:

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Coosa Valley Electric Cooperative urges consumers to take seriously the threat of severe weather from Hurricane Irma.

"The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning for our area starting Monday afternoon," said Leland Fuller, CVEC General Manager. "As Hurricane Irma moves north and west, the storm is expected to lose much of its intensity and be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reaches us. Even though Irma will no longer be a hurricane, the storm can still be extremely dangerous. With sustained winds of 35-45 mph and gusts that could exceed 60 mph, we are expecting widespread power outages."

The largest threat posed by a storm of this nature is the potential for trees and tree limbs to be blown into power lines. With the size of this storm, CVEC is expecting to experience these kinds of service interruptions across its entire distribution system.

In light of this, CVEC is urging its consumers to prepare for their power to go out and be out for an extended period. Consumers with special needs, such as those using oxygen and other medically necessary equipment that requires power, should make plans to go to a location that has a backup power supply, such as a hospital.

"We cannot urge enough. If you are on oxygen or have other medical issues that require you to have power, we strongly urge you to go to a shelter or a hospital," Mr. Fuller said.

CVEC also recommends you have some non-perishable food items and a method of preparing food that does not require electricity. If your power does go out for an extended period, limit the number of times you open your refrigerator and freezer. A fully loaded, unopened refrigerator and freezer can keep food cold for up to two days.

"We are hoping for the best as Irma approaches our area, but we are preparing for the worst. Our crews are ready to respond when outages occur. We will work diligently to restore our consumers' services quickly as we can."

CVEC consumers can call 1-800-273-7210 to report power outages and other power-related issues.

Coosa Valley Electric, which serves nearly 17,000 consumers in Talladega, St. Clair, Shelby, Clay, Etowah and Calhoun counties, is a Touchstone Energy® cooperative. Nationwide, some 1,000 cooperatives provide power to rural America, and some 800 of those operate under the Touchstone Energy umbrella.