Activate contingency plans for patients with a medical necessity for electric power.
Limit freezer and refrigerator door openings. Food will keep longer if doors remain closed. Check items for spoilage before serving. Don't cook inside with charcoal.
Try to keep outside door openings to a minimum and use blankets, sleeping bags and extra clothes to help stay warm. Dress in layers and wear a hat. Cover drafty windows and doors with blankets. Close off doors and stay in the room with your heat source. If the room has openings without doors, use blankets to cover them.
Run your generator only through a properly installed transfer switch or plug appliances directly into the generator using a properly sized extension cord. Do not run the generator in enclosed spaces.
Turn off all large appliances that come on automatically, like electric water heaters, heat pumps and space heaters. Make sure appliances you were using when the outage occurred, like ovens, stoves, irons or power tools, are turned off. Disconnect sensitive electronics like TVs, VCRs and computers to avoid damage from surges.
When the power comes back on, give the electric system a chance to stabilize by gradually using the appliances you turned off. Use only the most essential first and wait 15 minutes on the others, including water and space heating.
If you clear trees on your property, don't try to remove those tangled in power lines. Stay away from any downed lines (no matter what type) and notify us about them immediately.
Check the power supply to your home:
Check your home's breaker panel (and any outdoor disconnects) to make sure the outage isn't due to a tripped breaker. Call your neighbors to see if their power is off. This will help you determine if the problem exists within your home or on our lines. If you determine the problem is outside your home, call the nearest Walton EMC office day or night, 365 days a year. Please have this information ready when you call:
Account Name
Street address
Home phone
Cause of power outage (if you know it)
If you call during a time of widespread outages, an automated outage reporting system may answer your call. Listen carefully and follow the directions you hear. Call or email any time your power is out. Don't assume that others have reported the outage. More outage reporting tips.
Watch out for Walton EMC crews:
Because of the location of many power lines, our employees and equipment frequently work along roadsides. Please slow down and be aware of utility crews in these areas. Stay away from any downed lines and notify us about them immediately.