WHAT TO DO IF YOU LOSE POWER
-
Check your meter if you are able to. If the meter is blank, report your outage below. If the meter has a display, check your fuses or breakers. Any issues from the meter pole to your house/building are your responsibility. If you report an outage and we visit your location, and the problem is not on the co-op's side, you may be charged a fee.
-
Check with your neighbors to see if their power is also off.
-
Report your outage using the options below.
-
Like our Facebook page or Twitter feed to see updates and information on major outage situations.
Weather-related
- High winds
- Lightning
- Ice or snow
Others
- Farm equipment or vehicle contact with poles
- Animals
- Trees in contact with lines
- High power demand causing an overload
Stay away and call us.
ALWAYS assume downed lines are live and STAY AWAY. Call us 24/7 at (800) 833-8876 to report any downed line or car vs. pole accident.
Stay in your car.
If a power line comes down on your car stay in the vehicle (unless there's a fire) until utility crews tell you that you can exit. Don't touch any metal in the vehicle. If people come near to help, tell them to stay away and call 911 and Midland Power at 800-833-8876.
Jump then shuffle, don't run.
If you have to exit a vehicle with a downed wire on it because of a fire, open the door but do not step out of the car. Instead, keeping both feet together, jump free of the car so that your body clears the vehicle before touching the ground. Once you clear the vehicle, shuffle at least 50 feet away with both feet on the ground.
Ever had your lights blink for just a split second or 5 seconds?
We call that a power blink - a brief interruption that's designed to prevent an extended power outage. Blinks occur when an object, such as a tree limb, comes into contact with a power line or other equipment.
To prevent damage to the power line equipment or your home, a circuit breaker interrupts the electricity for a fraction of a second. There is no need to report such a blink as an outage. However, if you experience multiple blinks over the course of 24-48 hours, check your in-home breakers for any electrical issues. If no issues are found, call us anytime.
If the limb remains on the line, the breaker opens and tries to close again. If the obstruction is still on the line after the third try, the breaker opens and does not close automatically - requiring a crew dispatch and to report the outage.
- Make certain the generator is on an isolated circuit. If connected to your home’s wiring, it could back-feed and create a life-threatening situation for linemen working on power lines.
- Read the manufacturer’s instructions and learn how to operate and shut off your generator before you need to use it.
- Make sure the extension cord you use is in good shape and rated for a load greater than the total wattage of all connected appliances and other devices (125 volts x amps = watts).
- Keep the generator dry, and don’t operate it indoors or in an enclosed or partially enclosed area such as a garage or porch. Generators quickly can produce high levels of deadly carbon monoxide gas.