Monday, Jan. 27, 2014. Baldwin EMC has issued an alert for members ahead of what emergency officials are calling a “historic” winter storm. Due to the freezing temperatures and icy conditions, power outages are possible during the storm.

“The weather we expect to face this week can be very damaging to power lines and equipment,” says E.A “Bucky” Jakins, Jr., Baldwin EMC’s chief executive officer. “Ice can accumulate on trees and cause them to sag and break. Gusts of wind can cause tree branches to come into contact with power lines, which results in outages.”

Jakins says employees in the co-op’s control center will be monitoring its service area around the clock, and crews will be on call to respond to outages as quickly and safely as possible. However, it’s very important for members to make a plan now in case outages happen as we expect power restoration to take longer than normal due to hazardous road conditions.

If power does go out, members are asked to turn off their heaters and leave them off for at least 15 minutes after the power comes back on. Jakins says this precaution keeps Baldwin EMC’s equipment from being overloaded when power is restored. “So many heaters, lights, televisions and other devices coming on all at once can require more electric power than our system can handle at one time, which can cause another outage,” Jakins explains. “That’s why we ask members to briefly postpone turning on their heaters when their power comes back on.”

Baldwin EMC members can report power outages 24-hours a day, seven days a week by calling (251) 989-6247.