Dear 5th Ward Friends and Neighbors,
As Hurricane Sandy moves closer to the North Atlantic, everyone should prepare for the possibility of power outages and flooding. In advance of the storm, Governor Corbett has declared a statewide disaster emergency to enable state, county and municipal governments to respond effectively to the impact of Hurricane Sandy.
Governor Corbett is reminding residents to remain in their homes during harsh storm conditions. If you need to leave your home during the storm please follow all posted road warnings to keep yourself and others safe, in Pennsylvania this is now the law.
With the risk of prolonged power outages the Governor is urging everyone to ensure they have supplies to last a couple days in their homes such as batteries, food, water, essential medicines and first aid supplies.
Make sure you have a communications plan with friends and loved ones in order to let them know where you are during the storm.
PECO activated its emergency response organization yesterday and is busy making preparations to respond to Hurricane Sandy which is expected to bring extreme weather with drenching rains and sustained high winds. Crews stand ready to repair storm damage and restore service to customers as quickly and safely as possible.
PECO has activated hundreds of employees including back office support, engineers, operations and other staff to ensure we are well-prepared to handle the impact from the storm.
Customers should also prepare for possible storm damage:
- Keep PECO's emergency telephone number (1-800-841-4141) handy.
- Sign up for an online account with PECO and access www.peco.com from your mobile device to report outages and check system status.
- Have a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.
- Have a battery powered clock and radio available.
If an outage occurs:
- Customers without power should contact the company at 1-800-841-4141. The more customers who call to report an outage, the more effectively PECO can dispatch crews and restore service. The company's automated telephone system can quickly record your outage, allowing our Customer Care representatives to remain available to handle reports of dangerous situations.
- Stay away from downed wires, damaged electric equipment, and tree limbs and branches contacting electrical equipment. Always assume PECO's equipment is energized – even if there is an outage in your neighborhood. Report these dangerous conditions to PECO immediately.
- Turn off and unplug appliances and other devices to prevent possible damage. Remember to keep one light on so you know when service has been restored.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Move meats, cheese, milk, etc. into the freezer to stay colder longer. A partially full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 24 hours, and up to 48 hours when full.
- Customers with generators should never connect them directly to home wiring or plug them into household outlets. Generators connected to home wiring can 'back feed' into PECO's electric delivery system, risking serious injury or death to PECO crews. Generators should always be placed outside to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning.
The Foundry Church plans to open their building (Blakeley & Cedar Rds) in case the storm is bad and impacts our community, particularly the 5th Ward. They stand ready to help those in need.
Residents are reminded to keep their leaf piles off the streets. Not only will this help prevent street flooding, it will also provide emergency vehicles safer routes when responding to calls during the storm.
While there is no official word, I remember the last hurricane, HURRICANE IRENE, people parked their vehicles at NPE. You would do so at your own risk.
Our Emergency Management Coordinator, Pat O’Rourke, has scheduled a meeting for Sunday, October 28th at 12:00 PM at Garden City Fire Company to update everyone on and prepare for Hurricane Sandy. An additional email with information and resources for residents will be sent out tomorrow afternoon, but if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me.
Warm Regards,Stay Safe and keep a watch on our elderly residents during the storm,
Larry Baker
Commissioner, 5th Ward
Nether Providence Township
