First aid kit with water and flashlight

Be Prepared

Be prepared for power outages with an easily accessible and fully stocked “disaster kit.” This page will show you what you should have on hand should a power outage happen.

Prepare for Winter Power Outages

Wright-Hennepin works to minimize the occurrence of power outages, but it is important to be prepared for one if it should it happen.

Wright-Hennepin does everything it can to avoid interruptions to your electric service. But sometimes, snow, sleet, ice and wind combine to make power outages unavoidable. Here are some tips so that you can be prepared:

  • Never touch a fallen power line, and assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged. Call Wright-Hennepin at 763-477-3100 to report fallen lines immediately. Avoid contact with overhead lines at all times.
  • Stay tuned to weather forecasts: Stay informed about the weather in your area by listening to WCCO (830 AM) or KRWC (1360 AM) for Wright-Hennepin restoration information during extended outages.
  • Medical emergencies: Wright-Hennepin attempts to provide members on life-support systems priority during outages. If you or a family member requires some form of life-support, make sure you are on Wright-Hennepin’s "critical human service list" before an outage occurs. Call 763-477-3100 to find out how to get on that list. You can also consider obtaining a backup source of power if the power does go out for an extended period. Keep your backup generator in good condition and test it periodically.
  • Have an outage kit prepared ahead of time, containing the following items:
    • Working flashlight
    • Battery-powered radio
    • Extra batteries
    • Outage numbers
    • Candles and matches (never leave a candle unattended)
    • Standard touch-tone phone (not cordless) and a fully charged cell phone
    • Extra blankets to keep warm and old blankets and sheets to cover windows, doors and other sources of cold air leaks in the home.
    • First aid kit
    • Fire extinguisher
    • Bottled water
    • Non-perishable food
    • Backup heater
      • If you have extra heaters that use kerosene or another fuel, make sure you have adequate supplies of fuel available, but store this in a cool, dry place—not inside your home.
      • If you plan to use a portable, unvented heater such as a kerosene heater, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use, ventilation and safety.
      • Use your fireplace or wood burning stove if you have one.
      • Use fuel-burning heaters only in a well-ventilated area.
      • Never burn charcoal indoors because the fumes are hazardous.
    • Extreme situations: If the indoor temperature dips to the low 40s, consider draining your water pipes to prevent them from freezing.
      • First, fill all the clean containers you have with water and keep them in your warmest room.
      • If necessary, drain water from the entire plumbing system, keeping all faucets open.
      • Make sure you pump chemicals from any fixtures and pipes before refilling them with water.
      • Consider draining your water heating system, leaving the valves open
    • After the storm: Replace used batteries in your emergency kit and restock food and water to be prepared for the next storm.