Iowa’s electric cooperatives preparing for high winds on Wednesday
Iowa’s locally owned electric cooperatives, primarily serving rural areas, are monitoring conditions and are prepared to restore power as the state braces for high winds later today.
“In high wind situations, there’s the potential for power outages due to branches, limbs and trees coming into contact with power lines,” remarked Scott Meinecke, director of safety for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning, forecasting wind gusts as high as 60-70 miles per hour for some portions of the state later on Wednesday, Dec. 15.
Electric cooperative crews are on alert and ready to respond if outages occur. If you experience a power outage, call your local electric cooperative to report it, even if you think your neighbors may have called it in. Meinecke says, “The more outage information your electric co-op has on hand, the better it can pinpoint the exact location and extent of an outage.” Consumers can visit https://www.iowarec.org/outages to see a statewide map of current electric cooperative outages; the map is automatically updated every 15 minutes.
“Safety is always our top priority,” says Meinecke. “Lineworkers are ready to respond to any outages, but they may not be able to climb poles or go up in the bucket if the conditions are too windy. Please be patient during these high wind situations and know that we are working as quickly and safely as possible to restore power.”
If you see downed power lines, do not touch them or drive over them; always assume power lines are energized and dangerous until an authority says otherwise. Call your local electric co-op or local police to report downed power lines, damaged poles or damaged electrical equipment.
Iowa’s electric cooperatives serve approximately 80% of the state’s land mass and about 15% of the state’s population throughout all 99 counties.
For More Information:
Erin Campbell
IAEC director of communications
ecampbell@iowarec.org
