Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

Very high winds are hitting parts of Montana hard and NorthWestern Energy is remindingcustomers to be on the lookout for downed or low-hanging power lines.

NorthWestern Energy is reporting dozens of scattered outages, mostly in central and north central Montana due to strong, gusty winds pushing through the area.

NorthWestern Energy says customers calling to report outages may be on-hold longer during large-scale outage situations. Customers who don't want to wait on-hold can leave a message.

NorthWestern Energy reminds customers to use caution and common sense around electric power lines that are sagging or downed. If you see fallen or sagging electrical wires, assume that they are "live" and stay clear of the lines. Keep others away from wires and any other structures that may be energized.

To report outages, downed or sagging power lines, contact NorthWestern Energy at 888.467.2669.

Here are a few reminders in case electric service to your home or business is interrupted:

Only use portable generators if a licensed electrical contractor in accordance with all federal and state codes and local ordinances has properly installed them.

Portable generators should not be connected directly to your house or any building wiring. Doing so may feed power back on to our electric lines and threaten the safety of our employees working to restore an outage.

Beware of fallen or broken branches and trees, they are a major cause of power outages and could be energized if they come in contact with a live electric line.

Keep an emergency kit ready: include flashlights, battery-powered radio, canned foods that require no cooking, and fresh batteries.

Some other things to be remember: only non-electric land line phones work during storm events when power is interrupted, and keep your cell phone fully charged when storm events are forecasted.

Also some cell phone towers do not work at full power after losing an electric feed.

Shut off appliances, lights and unplug sensitive electronic equipment. Using a surge protector also helps to protect sensitive electronic equipment such as televisions and computers.