Ada Public Works Provides Tips to Prepare for Power Outages

Ada, MN — Losing your electricity in the middle of winter can be dangerous or at the very least an uncomfortable situation if for an extended period of time, and it does happen on occasion. Recently on the KRJB Kaleidoscope Program, we spoke with Ada Public Works Director Brian Rasmussen on how to prepare for such a situation. The first step when your power goes out is to try to diagnose the source the outage. Rasmussen says the sooner you can find the source, the sooner it can be repaired.

Depending on your heat source, a generator can be used to power your furnace and any essentials until the power is back on. Otherwise, Rasmussen recommends putting on some extra layers while you wait it out.

While backup heat sources, such as buddy heaters or Kerosene heaters, can be used, Rassmussen encourages people to do so very cautiously. Make sure you have proper ventilation before firing one up.

There are a number of things that can cause a power outage, but the most common causes, especially in the winter, is down power lines due to ice or wind or blown fuses causes by over usage in extreme cold.  Rasmussen says the City of Ada has focused efforts in recent years on trying to eliminate overhead powerlines to reduce the number of power outages.

For more information on what to do if your power is out, visit the Red River Co Op Power website, www.rrvcoop.com and click on “Power Outages” under the Service Info tab.