Snowstorm leaves many without power

MT. PLEASANT — Henry County residents, along with millions of other Iowans, experienced power outages due to a winter storm that dumped large quantities of snow throughout the state for nearly 24 hours.

According to the National Weather Service, Henry County saw between 7-9 inches of snow thanks to the storm that passed through the area Monday through Tuesday.

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Despite the beauty of snow covered trees and frosty river banks and many enjoying building snowmen, throwing snowballs, and sipping on hot chocolate for their snow day, many others suffered power outages.

According to Access Energy Director of Member Services and Public Relations Kim Davis, the whole eastern part of Iowa saw many power outages due to the storm.

“We serve all 10 counties in the southeast corner, and we pretty much had outages in all of them,” Davis said.

Davis stated that the largest number of outages she saw in their service area was around 600.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, Access Energy Cooperative reported 28 member-consumers without power. This includes 2 in Henry County and 11 in Jefferson.

Eastern Iowa Light & Power Cooperative, Inc. reported 20 member-consumers without power, including 10 in Washington County Wednesday morning, as well.

Despite many outages, Davis said their coverage area fared better than many others, “We are feeling very fortunate.”

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Surprisingly, Mt. Pleasant Utilities, which provides power to residents within city limits, did not see any power outages due to the storm.

“We kind of waited we thought maybe we would, but we did not have any outages,” Jody Fuller of Mt. Pleasant Utilities reported. “I don't know if it's just by luck or maybe the other areas got hit a little bit harder than we did with more of a wet snow. I don't know.”

While Davis says the hope was to restore power to everyone Tuesday, road conditions and the type of outages made significant contributions to the prolonged outages.

According to Davis, the outages were more problematic because they were many smaller ones instead of a couple large outages all connected to one another.

“Mostly with a storm like this, you have a big outage that the men can go and fix one thing and it gets a whole bunch of people back on, but this storm, it’s been more little things,” she said. “Lots of little things which take much longer to get to and correct.”

In addition to the increased workload of many little things, Davis says where these smaller outages are located also adds to the difficulty of restoring power.

“They were smaller ones which made them harder to get to and with the weather being so hazardous it made traveling slow to get where they needed to go,” she said. Then that just halted everything.”

“Our crews were working all night long,” Davis said. “Actually, they were scheduled to work all night long, and then we had so many trucks get stuck, and we had to go out and rescue our men from the storm. So, they ended up calling them all back in for their safety, but then they went out this morning before six and started in again.”

As of Wednesday morning, Davis said Access Energy still had a truck stuck in Washington County from attempts to restore power during the storm.

“So, we’re still working, but we’ve sent other crews to that area where it was stuck and hopefully they’re going to be on pretty soon, but we’re hoping that everybody in our areas should be on yet today,” Davis said Wednesday morning.

If faced with a power outage, Davis encourages individuals to reach out to their electricity providers.

For Access Energy members, she says they can either call into (319) 385-1577 or use the SmartHub to notify them of an outage.

“Sometimes when it is a big outage, our phones are tied up and it’s hard to get through,” Davis said. “So, using the SmartHub on the website or the app might be an easier way to get through and make sure that their outage is reported.”

Davis also noted that calling or using the SmartHub is preferable to reaching out through Facebook as that means of communication may not be answered as quickly.

Access Energy suggests the following tips to prepare for future storms:

Always keep a battery-powered radio or TV, flashlights, and a supply of fresh batteries. Also, have water, blankets, and non-perishable food.

When power goes out, it often comes back in spikes. This can damage electronics. Keep your electronics safe by unplugging them when the power goes out. Leave one lamp or switch on as a signal for when your power returns.

To prevent water pipes from freezing, keep faucets turned on slightly, so water drips from the tap. Know how to shut off water valves in case a pipe bursts.

Never use a charcoal grill to cook or heat with inside the home. Burning charcoal gives off deadly carbon monoxide gas. Charcoal grills should only be used outdoors.

If you live with a child or elderly person, you may need to take them somewhere with power, so they can stay warm. If you are healthy enough to stay home safely, there are ways to stay warm: stay inside and dress warmly in layered clothing.

When using an alternate heat source, follow operating instructions, use fire safeguards, and be sure to ventilate properly.

Access Energy also advises when outside to stay away from downed power lines:

A power line need not be sparking or arcing to be energized. Equipment near power lines can also be energized and dangerous.

Lines that appear to be “dead” can become energized as crews work to restore power or sometimes from improper use of emergency generators. Assume all low and downed lines are energized and dangerous. If you see a downed or sagging line, contact your utility.

If you are in an auto accident involving a downed power line, your vehicle is usually the safest place to be (unless it is on fire). If it is safe to do so, stay in your car, call 9-1-1, and wait for electric utility personnel to arrive to deenergize the power. If you step out of the car and the ground is energized, you could become the electrical current’s path to ground and you could be electrocuted. If your car is on fire or you see smoke, make a solid, clean jump from your vehicle and hop away with your feet together as far away as you can. If you run or walk away, you could get electrocuted.

Motorists should never drive over a downed line, as snagging a line could pull down a pole or other equipment and cause other hazards.

Be careful approaching intersections where traffic or crossing lights may be out.

If you plan to use a generator, know how to operate it safely.

Comments: AnnaMarie.Ward@southeastiowaunion.com