Roanoke Electric officials are monitoring Hurricane Irene, which is currently gaining strength off the Atlantic coast and could potentially reach North Carolina’s coast and possibly head inland by the weekend. Roanoke Electric stands ready to restore power should outages occur in the wake of Hurricane Irene’s possible visit to the state.
Because there is the possibility Hurricane Irene will approach the co-op’s service territory, Roanoke Electric is evaluating whether or not the 2011 Annual Meeting will be carried out as planned on Saturday, August 27 at the Hertford County High School gym. Co-op officials plan to make a final decision by 12 noon on Friday.  Please visit the co-op’s website at www.roanokeelectric.com, access Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s Facebook Page, or call 252-209-2267 for updates on this matter.

Electric cooperative personnel have begun to double-check equipment and supplies that will allow them to restore power if Irene causes major outages in North Carolina. When severe weather causes outages, electric cooperative line crews begin working immediately to restore service in a safe and efficient manner.
Roanoke Electric members should make sure they have their electric cooperative’s outage number available. Members can report an outage 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 1-800-358-9437.

Now is the time to prepare an emergency kit that includes non-perishable food and bottled water, a flashlight, radio, batteries and any other items necessary for getting through a power outage. Remember to NEVER touch a fallen power line; fallen lines can be energized, and touching them could result in serious injury or even death.

For more important safety tips for before, during and after a storm, please visit www.carolinacountry.com/storypages/howtos/stormtips.html.

Roanoke Electric is a non-profit electric utility serving more than 14,300 members in parts of seven counties.