Check your fuses or circuit breakers.
Check to see if your neighbor's power is off.
Call Tri-County EMC at anytime, day or night, weekends, holidays or after hours to report an outage.
1-800-548-4869 or 919-735-2611

Restoring power after a major storm is a big job that involves much more than simply throwing a switch or removing a tree from a line. Our top priority is to restore power safely to the greatest number of members in the shortest time possible. The major cause of outages is damage caused by fallen trees. That's why we have an ongoing right-of-way maintenance program and count on your support when tree trimming crews are in the area.

Step 1. Transmission towers and lines supply power to one or more transmission substations. These lines seldom fail, but they can be damaged by a hurricane or tornado. Tens of thousands of people could be served by one high-voltage transmission line, so these lines get attention first.

Step 2. Tri-County EMC has 14 distribution substations, each serving hundreds or thousands of customers. When a major outage occurs, these distribution substations are checked first by local personnel. A problem here could be caused by failure in the transmission system supplying the substation. If the problem can be corrected at the substation level, power may be restored to a large number of people.

Step 3. Main distribution supply lines are checked next if the problem cannot be isolated at the substation. These supply lines carry electricity away from the substation to a group of consumers, such as an individual community or housing development. When power is restored at this stage, all consumers served by this supply line could see the lights come on, as long as there is no problem farther down the line.

Step 4. The final supply lines, called tap lines, carry power to the utility poles or underground transformers outside houses or other buildings. Line crews fix the remaining outages based on restoring service to the greatest number of members.

Step 5. Sometimes, damage will occur on the service line between your house and the transformer on the nearby pole. This can explain why you have no power when your neighbor does. Tri-County needs to know if you have an outage here, so a service crew can repair it.

Step 6. Members (not the co-op) are responsible for damage to the service installation on the building. Call a licensed electrician to make repairs then call the cooperative so power can be restored.

Although Tri-County EMC works hard to keep the power on for its customers, severe weather conditions or other unusual circumstances that cause damage to poles and lines can sometimes put us in the dark. You'll be safer and less inconvenienced if you have the following emergency supplies on hand in a convenient location:

Flashlight with fresh batteries
Candles and holders
Matches
Firewood and kindling
Charcoal grill with charcoal and lighter
Nonperishable food
Manual Can Opener
Paper plates and plastic utensils
Radio with fresh battery
First Aid Kit
Fuel up vehicles
Bottled water
Wind up or battery operated clock
Fully charged cell phones
Baby needs -- diapers, formula, wet ones etc.
Pet needs -- identification tags, food and water
Homeowners insurance information

In addition, the cooperative suggests securing all outdoor items that could become airborne (patio furniture, grills, toys, boats, etc.). People should fill their bathtubs with water that can be used to flush commodes. People should also keep blankets over freezers and refrigerators to help insulate them in the event of an extended outage.

When severe weather causes power outages, employees of Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation immediately begin working to restore power to as many people as possible in the shortest amount of time. Serviced first are primary lines serving hundreds and sometimes thousands of customers. Medical facilities and individuals on life-support systems are given top priority during outages. When your lights go out, check with your neighbors to learn if they are also in the dark. If they're not, check your fuse box or circuit breaker to see if you can locate the problem. If the outage has affected your neighbors, call the Tri-County office at 919-735-2611 or 800-548-4869. Power outages that occur in severe weather, or that last for an extended period of time, can place a heavy burden on the system at the moment the power is restored. To prevent an overload on the system and possibly another outage, take these steps:

•	Turn off every inside light except one.
•	Turn down your thermostat.
•	In cold weather, close windows and drapes to save heat.
•	Pick one room on the warm side of the house and use blankets to insulate the windows.
•	If the outage lasts over 60 minutes, turn off the electric water heater.
•	Make sure your kitchen range is off, both the surface and the oven. Never use it as a substitute for your heater.
•	Turn off all unnecessary appliances
•	Avoid opening the freezer door. For more information about food safety during and after a power outage, call the county office of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.
•	If you see a downed power line, STAY AWAY! Immediately go to a safe place and call the Tri-County EMC office.
•	When power comes back on, slowly switch appliances and lights back on and gradually return your thermostat to its normal setting.