NBU NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 15, 2006
Contact: Gretchen Reuwer, NBU Communications Manager, (830) 629-8486

Preparing for winter weather can help minimize impact

NEW BRAUNFELS—With the weatherman calling for a good chance of sleet and even snow, New Braunfels residents are being urged to prepare for the inclement weather ahead of time. The cold front is expected to bring freezing drizzle to the area. If this occurs, residents could not only be facing bad weather, but slick roads and possible electric outages due to ice accumulations as well.

“Preparations for the weather actually began last week and NBU crews are on stand-by ready to respond to any problems,” NBU Communications Manager Gretchen Reuwer says. “Emergency plans have been reviewed, equipment and materials have been prepared, and we are ready to go if an ice storm occurs.”

Ice storms occur when rain becomes “supercooled” after falling through layers of cooler air without freezing. When the supercooled rain lands on surfaces that are at or below the freezing point, it becomes ice. Ice can create some of the prettiest winter scenes around, but it also signals one of the most dangerous and problematic situations for utility companies such as NBU. Ice adds a considerable amount of weight as it accumulates. The result is that lines themselves can be dragged down or broken tree limbs can fall across them and cause outages. In the event of a major outage, there are a few simple guidelines that customers can follow to assist in the effort to restore service quickly and efficiently.

First, report the outage by calling NBU’s 24-hour emergency dispatch at (830) 629-4NBU (4628). NBU has an automated outage reporting system that enables the customer to utilize their telephone to quickly report problems. Customers can request that the automated outage reporting system provide a return call when service has been restored to their area. To do this, the customer’s phone number must be up-to-date on the NBU system. Otherwise, the system may not recognize the number entered by a customer.

“Many of our customers prefer to use their cell phone as their primary contact number,” Reuwer explains. “There are cases where customers never updated their area code or they went to a different phone number years ago that has never been reported to NBU. This can easily be fixed by calling the NBU Customer Service Division at (830) 629-8400.”

Outage information provided by customers is transferred to dispatchers who are able to pinpoint where the trouble originated and direct repair crews where to look for problems. “Anytime we have a major outage due to weather or other causes, our customers can be of great assistance,” Reuwer says. “Reports of a loud pop or sparks in the area of a transformer can be left on this automated system and this will be relayed to our linemen by our dispatchers.”

While power outages can be inconvenient, downed lines can be deadly. Never allow anyone to approach or touch a downed power line. Call 9-1-1 to report the situation and an electric crew will be sent to the area immediately.

Second, stay clear of the work site and the crews. Electric crews are often faced with curious onlookers entering their work area during restoration efforts. This is not only dangerous for the civilian, but for the linemen as well.

“It is a much safer environment for our employees if they do not have to manage nonutility personnel in the work zone,” Reuwer says. “In addition, it will also allow much faster power restoration. Please stay clear of the crews, trucks, equipment and work site so they can get their job completed in as safe and quick a manner as possible. If you have something to report, please call (830) 629-4NBU.”

Third, turn off large loads such as heaters, appliances, and televisions. This will help reduce the demand on the electric system and as crews begin restoring service, less demand will prevent system overloads, repeated circuit failures and outages. Leaving one light on will alert you when power has been restored. At that point, slowly turning on needed lights and appliances is better for your own electric system as well as NBU’s system.

Fourth, avoid opening your refrigerator or freezer during the outage. According to the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, food in a refrigerator will be safe if power is not out longer than a few hours and the temperature has been at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below. Food in a full freestanding freezer should be safe for 48 hours if the temperature was at 0 degrees or below. Food in a half-full freezer should be safe for about 24 hours if the temperature was at 0 degrees or below. The less you open the doors to these appliances, the longer the cold temperature inside is maintained. Each time the door is opened, it causes an air exchange and greatly reduces the amount of time the appliance is able to maintain the cold temperature.

If an outage affects widespread areas of town for an extended period of time, NBU will keep the public informed of progress through the local radio station, KGNB at 1420 on the AM dial and KNBT at 92.1 on the FM dial. Information will also be made available to the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung.