How Do Storms and Other Natural Events Affect Your Electrical System?
When a storm or natural disaster takes out your electrical system, the problem can occur at multiple locations. Sometimes, the damage may be to your individual home’s electrical system. In these cases, it’ll just be your home that loses power, while your surrounding neighbors will still have power. Meanwhile, other situations can take out transformers that provide power to your immediate neighborhood or affect the larger power grid, taking out the power over large areas.
Natural disasters that can occur in the Atlanta Metro Area:
- Tropical storms
- Hurricanes
- Wildfires
- Tornadoes
- Floods
- Other severe storms
If a storm or natural disaster has affected your power service, it is important that you prioritize safety. This is especially important when dealing with flooding or disasters that involve water, as water is incredibly conductive, and the risk of electrical shock is even greater.
If you have lost power in a storm or natural disaster, for whatever reason, call your power company before attempting to restore your power or fix the problem.
Disaster Preparedness Tips
Preparing for a natural disaster can be challenging as different types of severe weather or other natural events will have different consequences. However, one thing you should assume is that you may be without power after a natural disaster. So, what should you do in this instance?
Things to include in your disaster supply kit to help you deal with a power outage:
- Flashlights
- Digital thermometer
- Battery-powered radio
- Backup generator
- Spare batteries for all devices requiring power
How to Protect Your Home’s Electric System
In the previous section, you saw some helpful ways in which you can be prepared to react to a natural disaster. From having water and shelf-stable food to a first-aid kit and a safe power supply to use after a natural disaster or severe storm strikes, being ready for a significant power outage is always a good idea. But is there anything else you should be doing? You can do a few things to help prevent damage to your home’s electric system and devices.
The two most common power problems during severe weather are:
- Power outages
- Power surges
A power outage is when you lose power. In the previous section, we provided tips on dealing with a significant power outage after a storm.
A power surge occurs when there is a sudden, unexpected increase in voltage. Power surges can not only damage your electrical system, but they can also damage your electronic devices. Sensitive devices like computers, gaming consoles, and entertainment systems are particularly vulnerable.
You can install a whole-home surge protector to protect your system and your devices from a power surge. You may already have point-of-use surge protectors protecting your computers or entertainment system, but these do not protect your electrical system at large. With increased smart devices, including smart refrigerators, home automation systems, etc., whole-home surge protection is becoming more necessary.
Review our blog, “What’s the Difference Between a Power Surge & a Power Outage?” to learn more.
Need help repairing your electrical system after a storm or other weather event? Reach out to Lightning Bug Electric for help. Our team of experienced electricians always prioritizes safety, and we can help you get your power back on quickly and safely.