DP&L restores power for a few hundred

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Fayette and surrounding counties experienced brief power outages during the windy weather Thursday, according to Dayton, Power & Light (DP&L).

Director of Corporate Communications with DP&L — Mary Ann Kabel — said on Friday that just under 380 customers combined within the Fayette and Highland County regions were without power starting around 1:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.

“We can confidently say that all outages over the last 24 hours can be attributed to the inclement weather,” Kabel said during an interview Friday afternoon. “When we start to see wind speeds reach 35 to 40 miles per hour they are not necessarily our friend. Then when you consider the wet foliage and the soft ground, the winds can pull tree, poles and all sorts of things down onto the power lines.”

The DP&L representative said thankfully the vast majority of customers had their power restored by 10 p.m. Thursday but two special cases required overnight work to be completed. According to DP&L, those particular customers finally saw power restored Friday morning before 10 a.m.

“We know here at DP&L that no trees, lines or poles are created equal and sometimes they require some extra work before we can finish restoring power,” Kabel said. “With safety being the number one priority for everyone, we sometimes do need to wait for tree removal crews to assist before we can complete that work.”

Kabel shared some tips on Friday as well for customers who find themselves in a situation without power. First, get a kit prepared with essential supplies to help anyone get through the outage. Kits should include food that does not need to be cooked or refrigerated; a manual can opener; water — one gallon per day per person; first-aid kit and personal medications; blankets; a phone with a cord — these are likely to work even when the power is out; a list of important phone numbers; flashlight and extra batteries; blankets; cash; battery-powered candles; car charger; battery-powered or crank-powered radio or TV; pet items, if needed; home generator; baby items, if needed (diapers, wipes, formula, baby food); and finally clothing and personal hygiene items if anyone should need to leave the home.

Kabel suggested making a plan in the event of severe weather. Start by putting together the plan by discussing how the family will receive emergency alerts and warnings, where shelter can be found, how to evacuate in the event of an emergency and how will the family stay in communication. Next consider specific needs in the household such as dietary needs, medical needs and pet needs. Following the discussion, DP&L suggests the family fill out an emergency plan sheet or make one of their own so everyone can see the plan and practice with the family/household to ensure it is clear and effective.

Finally, during an outage DP&L suggests to not rely on neighbors to report an outage in the neighborhood and to always report power outages to DP&L while continuing to be on the lookout for downed power lines. If anyone sees downed lines, DP&L says to, “Stay Away,” and to keep everyone at least 10 feet away until crews can make the area safe. For more safety tips visit dpandl.com/safety for more tips and information.

This weekend residents can expect cooler temperatures throughout the day both Saturday and Sunday with highs in the mid to upper 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Winds are forecasted between 10 and 20 miles per hour both days and skies should remain mostly sunny.

Reach Martin Graham at (740) 313-0351 or on Twitter @MartiTheNewsGuy

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By Martin Graham

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