Severe Weather Preparations

The McHenry County Emergency Management Agency reminds residents to prepare for severe weather:

Power Outages

If you lose power to your home you should always call ComEd at 1-800-EDISON1 (1-800-334-7661) to report the outage.  Reporting your outage ensures that ComEd has the most up to date information for restoring power to your area.

Generators and Generator Safety 

Do you and your family have a plan for power outages?  Have you thought about what you will do if you lose power for three days?  How about for a week?  Have you considered purchasing a portable generator to be able to provide for your family’s basic needs?  When the power is out a portable generator would allow you to operate a few lights in the dark, run fans to stay comfortable, and keep your essential appliances working so food doesn’t spoil.

While generators are great tools, they can also be hazardous when not used properly.  The following tips will help ensure the safety of you and your family when using a portable generator. 

Portable Generator Safety Tips

Always use generators outside, away from doors, windows, and vents. NEVER use generators inside your home, garage, basement, crawl space, or any other enclosed area (even with proper ventilation).

Follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use.

Plug all appliances directly into the generator, or use a heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cord.

Make sure that the entire extension cord is free of cuts/tears and the plug has three (3) prongs, especially a grounding pin.

NEVER plug the generator into a wall outlet (known as back-feeding).  This practice can cause an electrocution risk to utility workers and others served by the same utility transformer.

If you must connect a generator to house wiring, make sure to have a qualified electrician install the appropriate equipment.

Before refueling the generator, turn it off and let it cool.  Fuel spilled on hot engine parts could ignite.

Always store fuel outside of the living areas in properly labeled, non-glass containers.

Communication During Power Outages 

There are many ways the County can provide information to and communicate with residents under normal circumstances.  But what happens when the power goes out?  Do you know how to get updates from the County under these conditions?  When you lose power you oftentimes also lose your ability to use your home phone, cable, and internet. But there are still ways you can stay informed and be ready.

Register your phone number with the Emergency Alert System.  Click here for more details. NIXLE.

Register with ComEd at https://www.comed.com/customer-service/outage-information/pages/outage-alerts.aspx for outage alerts and estimated repair times.

For smart phones, Emergency Closing Center at: www.emergencyclosings.com.

Have a battery powered radio and listen for updates on STAR 105.5, WGN 720, WIND 560, and WBBM 780.

Have a printed version of this citizens’ emergency handbook from the Illinois Department of Public Health on emergency preparedness to reference:  http://www.idph.state.il.us/pdf/SurvivingDisasters.pdf.