Local Crews Will Be Waiting To Respond To Storm

The following is an announcement from Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department (WMGLD):

Although forecasters predict that Hurricane Sandy will not make a direct hit on New England, we will be impacted by high and sustained winds for a 24-hour period. The Wakefield Municipal Gas and Light Department (WMGLD) is gearing up for any potential effects of the storm that is expected to affect New England early this week.

WMGLD will be staffing crews, as well as contractor tree crews, beginning early Monday morning, according to WMGLD General Manager Pete Dion.

“We have been watching this storm very closely,” the General Manager said. “We have been in contact with local emergency management personnel as well as other utilities to monitor the situation. Sustained winds and gusts can bring down trees and power lines, which could cause outages. Now is the time for all customers to review their preparations in the event that this storm impacts our area.”

The WMGLD recommends that customers always do the following when severe weather threatens:

-       keep an eye, and ear, to the news for updates on storm tracks and timing;

-       know where the flashlights are and keep them handy;

-       make sure there are fresh batteries in the house for radios and flashlights;

-       as a last resort, if you use candles in an outage, keep them away from children and any flammable materials. Don’t fall asleep without extinguishing all candles;

-       bring in all lawn furniture, plants, and other decorations – they could become projectiles in heavy winds;

-       make sure you have a manual can opener and an ample supply of nonperishable food in the house;

-       keep all cars with a full tank of gas in the event that the power is out for any length of time; also be sure you have a safely stored supply of gas for any emergency generator equipment you may own;

-       make sure that all life sustaining equipment has a fully charged battery back-up system, and that you have notified the WMGLD that you have this equipment in your home;

-       make sure your cell telephone is fully charged, especially if you don’t have a landline;

-       prepare a first aid kit with all necessary medications. Make sure that your prescriptions are filled and you have enough medication to last several days;

-       know how and where to turn off electricity and water if you need to;

-       turn off the lights and electrical appliances, except for the refrigerator and  freezer.

-       keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed if the power goes out;

-       throw out any food in the refrigerator or freezer that reaches a temperature above 41° F. If you aren’t sure of its freshness, throw it out;

-       keep one single lamp on so that you’ll know when the power is restored;

-       remember that most cordless home phones won’t work if the power is out. If you can, buy a corded phone for your house;

-       have rain gear and protective clothing if you need to leave the home for any reason;

-       keep cash on hand in case power to the ATMs is out and you need to buy emergency supplies;

-       have at least three gallons of water per person set aside as part of your disaster/emergency kit.

The WMGLD reminds its customers to call the WMGLD at (781) 246-6363 to report a power outage. Do not assume that someone else has reported the outage in your neighborhood.

“If this storm does cause any power outages, please remember that WMGLD crews will be on hand to restore power as quickly and safely as possible,” General Manager Dion concluded. “Our crews will be out when it is safe to do so.”