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CO - OP LIVI NG


Weathering the Storm F


By Magen Howard, CCC


loods. Wind. Rain. Ice. When Mother Na- ture wreaks havoc on power lines, a wake of hazards often follow. That makes safe- ty—always a top priority for electric co-ops—a key concern after a storm blows through. “Creating a culture of safety is incredibly im- portant to electric co-ops because some of our employees face life-or-death situations daily,” relates Kenny Guffey, director of loss control and cooperative services for the Oklahoma As- sociation of Electric Cooperatives. “We also want to ensure the safety of those we serve, our mem- bers.”


Every region of the country must deal with its own types of weather problems, but here’s a look at the most common storms that create safety issues for co-ops and consumers alike.


Floods


In 2009, floods ravaged through northeast Oklahoma, particularly in the town of Miami. Water turns an already tricky situation into a deadly one if you attempt to work with electri- cal equipment that’s wet or submerged. “In these types of situations, we watch our fa- cilities pretty closely when we know water may be an issue. Our servicemen will actually discon- nect the members before water reaches them and causes any possible safety concerns. Sometimes members don’t like this practice, but in the end, they usually understand why we feel we have to


Western Farmers Electric Cooperative crews work on different stretch- es of high-voltage transmision lines ripped by May tornadoes last year. Damage included 70 high-voltage transmission structures damaged or destroyed, over 100 poles broken, and one entire substation near Calumet, Okla. (Cana) destroyed. Photo by Mark Daugherty/WFEC


do it,” says Cindy Hefner, manager of public relations at Northeast Oklahoma Electric Cooperative located in Vinita, Okla.


Although Northeast Oklahoma Electric did not experience outages as a result of the fl ood in 2009, the cooperative assisted the Red Cross in an effort that included serving over 17,000 meals and nearly 34,000 snacks to fl ood victims. Typically, when electric co-op members have their home or place of business overrun by water, co-ops urge members to exercise caution and call a licensed electrician before beginning clean-up efforts.


“Do not use electrical appliances that have been wet until they’ve been exam- ined by a qualifi ed service repair dealer,” recommends Brett Brenner, president of the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). If high winds accompanied the rains that produced the fl ood, downed power lines are a real possibility. ESFI urges fl ood victims to stay out of the water near power lines.


Tornadoes and High Winds


Oklahoma has had its share of tornado outbreaks. In May 2011, for example, a series of about three tornadoes left Oklahoma Electric Cooperative in central Oklahoma with nearly 13,000 members in the dark and 348 destroyed poles, causing the cooperative $1 million dollars in damage costs. According to Opera- tions Manager Randy Simmons, the majority of outages were safely restored on


6 OKLAHOMA LIVING


Natural disasters leave a host of safety issues behind them


the fi rst day, but it took fi ve days before all affected members had power again. Downed power lines pose the greatest electrical risk after a tornado or bout with high winds because you can’t tell whether they are still energized. ESFI reports that if you get close to a downed power line, you should shuffl e away from it in small steps, with your feet together and touching the ground at all times.


“You cannot tell whether a power line is hot just by looking at it,” Brenner cautions. “Always assume that downed power lines are live and keep at least 10 feet away from them and anything touching them.” Another danger spawned after a pro- longed power outage is increased use of portable generators, which can be deadly if misused. The easiest way to get hurt using a generator involves operating it too close to or even inside your home, which allows carbon monoxide fumes to fi lter through- out living areas. Most generators can emit deadly levels of carbon monoxide in a mat- ter of minutes.


In addition, if you have plugged your portable generator into a wall socket, it can threaten co-op lineworkers by producing “backfeed” that unexpectedly re-energizes power lines.


“Backfeed is a deadly serious issue for electric co-op lineworkers,” Guffey stress- es. “Portable generators should never be plugged into a home’s wall outlet, and generators must have a transfer switch in-


stalled to prevent backfeeding.” tor.


Snow and Ice


Freezing rain and sleet, a common winter occurrence in most parts of the country, generally don’t cause many power outages if the frozen precipitation falls in small doses. But every so often a catastrophic blizzard or ice storm strikes that’s talked about for decades.


In January 2010, a major ice storm ravaged southwest Oklahoma, leaving al- most the entire region without power.


Southwest Rural Electric Cooperative, located in Tipton, Okla. faced extreme challenges, but not without help. Manager Mike Hagy says the co-op suffered approximately $6 million dollars in damages and lost 3,000 poles. It took 21 days before power was safely restored to affected members. Mutual aid crews from Texas were able to come to the rescue as other Oklahoma co-op crews had too much damage to repair throughout the state. Because there was no transmis- sion of electricity, fi nding adequate housing, food, and fuel became a problem. “It was windy and very cold. The ice on our wires was as thick as a can of Coke,” Hagy says. “We were fortunate we were able to house crews in Vernon, TX. This


Photo couresty Karen Kaley/Cotton Electric Co-op Call your local electric cooperative if you plan to install an emergency genera-


TORNADO


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