Jackson EMC is closely monitoring the weather forecast for Sunday and the potential impact on our area. Current forecasts indicate severe winter weather and freezing rain in Northeast Georgia beginning Sunday, Jan. 7.

As always, Jackson EMC linemen and other personnel stand ready to respond to our members when needed. In addition to our linemen, we will have 190 contractors nearby and ready to respond.

To prepare for potential hazards, consider the following electrical safety tips:

• Beware of fallen power lines. If you come upon a fallen power line, assume that it is electrically charged. This includes cable TV feeds and telephone lines. Report any downed line to your power company. Report an outage to Jackson EMC at 1-800-245-4044 or by visiting outage.jacksonemc.com.
• Take proper precautions when using a generator if you lose power. Place the generator outside the home, as carbon monoxide fumes are odorless and can quickly overwhelm you indoors. Also, never connect generators to another power source such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or ‘backfeed’ can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.
• Prepare for medical needs, such as having a plan for loved ones who depend on medical equipment that requires electricity. This includes backup power, extra supplies or going to an alternative location until the storm is over.
• A final helpful hint. In the event of a power outage, check your breaker panels before calling your power company. Check both the main breaker on the inside panel and outside disconnect (usually only found on newer homes) located close to your electric meter. If the breaker is tripped, it will be stopped halfway between "off" and "on." Turn the breaker off first and then back on to reset it. If you still have power in part of your home, check the individual breakers in the panel.

A complete list of items to prepare in homes and businesses before the storm is available on the Jackson EMC website at: www.jacksonemc.com/storm-center/storm-preparation.

Resources:

• Report Outages. Jackson EMC members should report outages to 1-800-245-4044 or by visiting outage.jacksonemc.com
•  Storm Center. Outage updates and a map with current outages is available at: news.jacksonemc.com/outages/.
• Outage Map. Available in the Storm Center, the Outage Map provides real-time information on outages. www.jacksonemc.com/storm
• Follow @JacksonEMC on Twitter for storm tips and outage updates, or like us on Facebook.