What to Do if Your Power Goes Out

As we prepare for another Minnesota winter, we all hope that Mother Nature will spare us and we won’t have any power outages. But if we do, be assured Minnesota Valley will work to restore your service as quickly as possible. Extreme weather conditions and prolonged outages are difficult for all of us and our working together will make it a much more tolerable time. We appreciate your patience and cooperation both with us and the CRC answering service. By following these steps, you can help us restore your power as quickly and easily as possible.

1) Check your fuses or circuit breakers.

2) Check with your neighbors to see if their lights are out.

3) Call Minnesota Valley at 320.269.2163 or 800.247.5051.

4) Be able to provide the LOCATION NUMBER for the account without power when reporting an outage. This number is printed on your monthly energy bill. Please report anything that may be helpful to our crews such as lines or poles down, sparks on poles, trees or branches on lines, etc. Always think of downed power lines as being energized.

5) If you are experiencing low voltage (a brownout), unplug anything with a motor like refrigerators and freezers and all electronic equipment.

6) During a major power outage, turn on your battery operated radio for news concerning the outage and weather. We will usually broadcast messages on KDMA-AM/ KMGMFM in Montevideo, KLQP-FM in Madison, KMHL-AM/KKCK-FM in Marshall and KQIC-FM/ KWLM-AM/KDJS-FM in Willmar.

STAY AWAY FROM DOWNED POWER LINES!


Tips for Staying in Your Home Without Power

Minnesota Valley offers these tips should you happen to be without power for an extended period of time. If a storm produces extreme weather conditions and efforts to travel come to a virtual standstill, you will need to be prepared to stay in your home until conditions improve.

  • Keep a good supply of food on hand.
  • Stock up on drinking water - fill your bathtub with water for flushing and other uses.
  • Prepare alternate heating sources ahead of time and ventilate properly. Close off any unneeded rooms.
  • Get lanterns, candles and flashlights ready for use.
  • Be sure battery operated radios are handy and have fresh batteries.
  • Camping equipment can be used for many purposes when you are without power.
  • Dress in layers and wear a hat.
  • During severe winter storms, be sure to check your furnace vents to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • If snow is piling up around your home, check your exits every hour or so and clear them if necessary.
  • Most importantly, stay in your home. It is the safest place for you to be in a winter storm.