LENOIR, NC (February 17, 2021) — A significant icing event is predicted for Caldwell County. Precipitation in the county should begin as rain between midnight and 3 a.m. with ice beginning between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Thursday. The storm has the potential to cause dangerous travel conditions and significant power outages.
Please prepare for the pending storm.
- If someone in your home relies on electric medical equipment, make sure you are registered with your local power company and community emergency program. Also ensure that necessary medical supplies (including oxygen) are available at your home.
- Have a secondary non-electric heater, like a fireplace, wood stove and/or properly vented oil or gas heaters/stoves. Have each cleaned regularly, and store fuel safely. For oil or gas stoves, make sure shut-off valves are installed by a qualified technician.
If a power outage occurs:
- Make sure the outage goes beyond your home before reporting the outage. Check breakers or fuses and the power lines to your house. If the lines are damaged or down, stay back and call your electric company, do not call 911 for non-emergency reasons.
- Stay warm… In addition to dressing in layers and huddling under extra blankets, hang darker blankets on windows to draw in heat.
- Keep doors and windows closed and use towels to block drafts. If necessary, move to your basement, which may be more insulated.
- Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Never use gas generators, camping stoves, or barbeques indoors; keep them in well ventilated areas; and don’t use them for heating your home.
- Listen for updates. Listen to the news on a battery-powered or hand-cranked device. If you’re using a cellphone, choose texting over calling to keep phone lines free, or use your landline. Only call 911 for emergencies.
- Prevent additional damage. Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid a surge when the power comes back on; leave one lamp on so you know when the power comes back. If you have electric heat, keep all taps on a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
- If you turned off the main power switch, make sure appliances and electronics are unplugged before you turn it back on to prevent power surge damage. Wait for the electrical system to stabilize before reconnecting; start with the heating system, then appliances.
