As severe weather threatens the Gulf Coast, Baldwin County's electric utilities are reminding residents to prepare for potential power outages, understand how restoration works and make backup plans for critical medical needs.
Riviera Utilities Communications Coordinator Lily Jackson said two of the most common questions the utility receives during storm restoration involve the order in which power is restored and which repairs are the utility's responsibility versus those of the homeowner.
"One of the biggest questions we get during storm restoration is, 'How do you decide who you 'cut on' first?'" Jackson said.
Riviera Utilities follows a step-by-step restoration process after a storm, beginning with the infrastructure needed to get power flowing through the system.
First, crews repair distribution substations. Those substations must be functioning for power to reach the local distribution lines that supply electricity to thousands of homes and businesses.
Next, crews check and repair distribution lines that connect substations to large circuits on the grid. Repairing those larger lines can isolate trouble spots and restore power to large groups of customers.
The utility then restores power to essential services and facilities critical to public health and safety, including hospitals, public safety facilities, shelters and grocery stores.
Crews then move to tap lines, starting with repairs that affect the most customers, such as large communities and neighborhoods. Crews continue working quickly and safely until power is restored throughout the system.
Individual homes are addressed as the restoration process progresses. Riviera Utilities emphasizes that restoration is a process and that skipping steps would not benefit customers.
If a customer's neighborhood has power but the individual home remains without power, the customer should call or text Riviera Utilities to report the outage.
Another common question during restoration is, "What is the Utility responsible for fixing, and what am I responsible for as the homeowner?" Jackson said.
The answer depends on who owns the damaged equipment.
If a storm damages equipment owned by Riviera Utilities, the utility is responsible for the repairs. If the storm damages customer-owned electrical equipment, the customer is responsible for making the repairs. Riviera Utilities recommends that customers hire a licensed electrician when repairs are needed on customer-owned electrical equipment.
Customer-owned equipment includes the weatherhead, service mast, meter socket, service mast guy, service panel and trimming trees around service lines.
Riviera Utilities-owned equipment includes power poles, transformers, pad-mounted transformers, power distribution lines, service lines, meters and trimming trees around distribution lines.
Customers should make sure their contact information is up to date through the Riviera Utilities mobile app or online account. Jackson said this helps ensure an outage report is connected to the correct address.
Riviera Utilities customers have three ways to report an outage.
Foley-area customers can call (251) 943-4999, while customers in the Daphne and Eastern Shore areas can call (251) 625-4999. Jackson said customers will be directed to the appropriate location regardless of which number they call.
Customers also can text "OUT" to (251) 943-4999 and follow the prompts or report an outage through the Riviera Utilities mobile app, which is available through the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Outages cannot be reported through social media.
Jackson also urged households that depend on electricity for medical equipment, refrigerated medication or other essential medical needs to make an emergency plan before severe weather arrives.
Major storms can cause extended power outages, and restoration times depend on the severity and location of damage across the utility's system. While crews will work to restore power as safely and quickly as possible, Jackson said customers with critical medical needs should not rely on an estimated restoration time when making emergency plans.
Before a storm, Riviera Utilities recommends that households with critical medical needs:
More information is available from Riviera Utilities at www.rivierautilities.com. Outage reporting information is available at www.rivierautilities.com/outage-center/, customer service information is available at www.rivierautilities.com/customer-service/ and safety information is available at www.rivierautilities.com/safety/. Riviera Utlities' Storm Central webpage is avaiable at www.rivierautilities.com/storm-central.
A small portion of Baldwin County is served by Alabama Power, which also offers storm and outage resources for customers.
Alabama Power's storm information is available at www.alabamapower.com/storm. Its Outages and Storm Center is available at www.alabamapower.com/residential/outages-and-storm-center.html.
Customers can sign up through the Outages and Storm Center to receive outage alerts by text, email or phone and stay informed about their electric service.
Baldwin EMC also has resources available to help members prepare for severe weather and respond to power outages.
In a storm preparation news release concerning Tropical Storm Isaias, Baldwin EMC Vice President of Corporate Services and Public Relations Mark Ingram said the cooperative had a disaster plan in place and was prepared to respond if the storm reached its service area.
"We want to assure our members we are prepared should Tropical Storm Isaias reach our service area," Ingram said in the release. "We have a fine-tuned disaster plan in place, and we’ll be ready to respond within a matter of hours after the storm hits."
According to Ingram, Baldwin EMC officials were monitoring the storm around the clock and all crews were on emergency storm alert status. The cooperative urged members whose medical conditions require electricity to make alternate plans for their health care needs if they experienced an outage.
"As the saying goes, the first 72 are on you," Ingram said. "We encourage everyone in the path of this storm, to prepare now with three days’ worth of water, food, medical supplies, and personal items, in the event outages are experienced."
Baldwin EMC said it had taken standard precautionary measures and completed its preliminary storm preparation requirements. The cooperative had additional supplies, including poles, transformers, wire and other needed equipment, stocked and ready.
In addition to regularly scheduled emergency crews, Baldwin EMC had extra crews on standby and ready to respond if widespread outages occurred.
The cooperative encouraged members to monitor storm development and begin taking safety precautions. It also recommended that residents prepare an emergency kit containing:
Baldwin EMC members can follow the cooperative on Facebook and Instagram for additional storm preparation information and the most up-to-date outage information.
If the power goes out, Baldwin EMC recommends first checking the home's main electrical panel to determine whether a fuse has blown or a breaker has tripped. Fuses must be replaced, while breakers only need to be reset.
If the problem is not in the main panel, customers can check with a neighbor to determine whether other homes in the area have been affected.
If the problem is not within the home or several homes are affected, customers should report the outage online or through Baldwin EMC's text or phone systems.
Baldwin EMC does not accept outage reports by email and social media.
Customers who have never reported an outage by text must first opt in to the program. They can then:
Outages also can be reported by calling (251) 989-6247 or (800) 837-3374. The phone service is available 24 hours a day.
Baldwin EMC's outage center is available at www.baldwinemc.com/outages-safety/outage-center.
The cooperative's Storm Center, at www.baldwinemc.com/outages-safety/storm-center, includes information about storm preparation, storm safety, the outage center, national and local resources for storm preparation and recovery, emergency numbers and local radio frequencies.
More information about Baldwin EMC is available at www.baldwinemc.com.
