Preparation Helps West Florida Electric and Members Weather Storms

When storms roll in, you need our crews to roll out — day or night. They proactively maintain the power delivery system throughout the year to make it stronger and less vulnerable to threats. That means our lineworkers are conditioned for the difficulties of restoring power when disaster strikes. As soon as it’s safe, they respond quickly to get your power back on.

You can prepare, too. Protect yourself and your loved ones by having an emergency kit on hand. Include the following items and any others your family may need:

• Bottled water

• Nonperishable food items

• Flashlights and batteries

• A battery-powered radio

• Medicines

• Extra blankets

• Baby items

• Pet food

Shopping for these items will be a little cheaper during Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Tax Free Weekend which is currently scheduled for May 28-June 10, 2022. Always keeping extra supplies on hand before you need them will help you weather the storm. Likewise, we have needed equipment on hand to speed up the process of repairing damage to our system. Another action you can take if bad weather is on the way is to fully charge your cell phones. Should the power go out, you can easily report it through our outage texting service if you have enrolled. Just text WFEC to (800) 342-7400 to get started and follow the instructions about how to report outages in the message you will receive back.

Ways to report an outage include calling our outage number at 844-OUTAGE1 (844-688-2431). You can also report outages through our mobile app. Follow outage updates by checking the online outage map (www.westflorida.coop/outages) or through your cooperative’s mobile app. Watch our Facebook page for helpful information, too. Remember to report an outage through the options listed above and not through Facebook.

Please keep in mind that nature’s fury can leave damage that requires time to repair. That’s why crews work to keep trees trimmed away from WFEC’s nearly 4,800 miles of power lines. Wind, lightning and heavy rain can knock limbs and trees onto lines. This is the number one cause of outages during storms. Please be patient while we locate and remove those.

Working with electricity is dangerous. Crews must keep safety first while getting your electricity back on, so they don’t put themselves or anyone else at risk. Lineworkers sharpen their skills through regular training. They learn the right tools for each job they must perform and how to complete those jobs in the safest way possible. If extra hands are needed, crews from sister cooperatives and contract workers are on standby and can arrive quickly to help. They work together with our crews to restore power to all members.

By being prepared, we can weather the storm together. We will do everything in our power to restore yours. It’s another way your hometown electric cooperative is always here for you.