SUMMER IS HERE, school is out, and families are gearing up for a few months of relaxation. While summer brings much fun in the sun, it also can bring the occasional severe storm. In the event of a power outage, you can trust that Farmers Electric Cooperative is ready to respond.

Nost power outages are caused by damage to power lines from falling trees and branches. We work year-round—through continuous right-ofway clearing—to ensure power lines in our service territory stand little risk of being damaged by trees, branches, or other types of vegetation.

Despite our best efforts, damage can occur to transmission stations, substations, and power lines during major storms. When this happens, our first priority is to safely restore power to as many members as possible in the shortest amount of time.

We start by mobilizing our line crews and other critical staff. The biggest problems—like damage to transmission lines, which serve thousands of our members—are handled first.

These problems must be corrected before we can focus on other areas where more localized damage may occurred.

Our line crews inspect substations to determine if the problem starts there or if there could be an issue farther down the line. If the root of the problem is at the substation, power can be restored to a large
number of members at once.

Next, line crews check the service lines that deliver power to neighborhoods and communities. Once linemen are able to repair those damaged lines, power can be restored to hundreds of members. If you continue to experience an outage, there may be damage to a tap line outside of your home or business.

We do our best to avoid power outages, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans. In the event of an outage, you can rest assured we will work to restore your power as swiftly and safely as possible.