Electrical crews prepare for possible severe weather damage

Time is critical during power outages.

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Heavy rain and strong wind gusts can be a recipe for disaster.

The aftermath of a severe storm can leave downed power lines, broken poles, and fallen trees—a mix that usually leaves folks in the dark.

Time is critical during power outages.

It could be minutes to hours, depending on the damage.

That’s why crews prepare to assist impacted areas.

” We know what could happen at any time,” said Anthony Miller, the manager of operations at 4-County Electric Power Association.

And when disaster strikes—your power could be out within seconds.

Miller said crews were up early Thursday morning loading trucks with equipment.

The WCBI viewing area reached a Level 3 severe threat Wednesday–meaning there’s an increased risk of storms and possible tornadoes.

” Every weather system is different, so until the system gets here and comes across our area, we try to plan for the worst and hope for the best,” said Miller.

Miller said seven construction crews are operating daily in the area.

An extra ten workers are on call to assist with severe weather damage.

” We monitor the weather throughout the day. We’ve got our crews on standby. They’ll come in, but they won’t leave this afternoon until we know if we need help back in the field. How many of those crews we’ll need,” said Miller.

It can take hours to get power lines restored.

Whether replacing a fuse or a broken pole, actually going place to place to tackle the damage can be a challenge.

” We want to make the call as early as we can to see if we need help to restore power. We’ll reach out to our statewide association, and they’ll reach out to our sister cooperatives, and they’ll get that set-up to come and help us,” said Miller.

Families are encouraged to prepare weather kits like flashlights and batteries in the event of power loss.