SCE&G monitoring Hurricane Matthew; offers safety and preparedness tips
October 3, 2016
SCE&G is monitoring the path of Hurricane Matthew and encouraging customers to prepare now for the potential impacts of severe weather, which could include power outages.
“We don’t yet know whether Hurricane Matthew will impact South Carolina, but we’ll be ready to respond if it does,” said Bill Turner, SCE&G’s vice president of electric operations. “We prepare year-round by periodically conducting storm drills and reviewing plans. This helps ensure we have our people and equipment ready to effectively respond to power outages and damage to our electric system. We also trim trees on thousands of miles of rights-of-way each year to condition our electric system for inclement weather. It’s our job to be prepared ahead of a severe weather event, and we also encourage our customers to be safe by getting ready early.”
SCE&G offers the following safety and storm preparedness tips for customers:
- Report outages:
- By text: Register for SCE&G’s text option online at www.sceg.com. Simply login to your account and look for the “Activate Text Options” under the “Account Options” feature and then follow the instructions. Once you are registered, if you are experiencing an outage, simply text the word “OUT” to 467234 (gosceg).
- By phone: 1-888-333-4465.
- By mobile device: Report and check the status of your power outage online from your internet-ready mobile device or phone by visiting www.sceg.com/mobile and clicking on “Outages & Emergencies.”
- Stay away from downed power lines – Storms can cause tree limbs and entire trees to break and fall, sometimes taking power lines and even meter boxes down with them. Always assume any downed power line you see is live and stay away. To report a downed line, call 1-888-333-4465.
- Stay informed – Keeping customers safe and up-to-date with timely information is a top priority. Follow SCE&G on Twitter at @scegnews or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/scegnews for the latest storm-related information and safety tips.
- Learn more at SCE&G’s storm center: www.sceg.com/storm. The storm center includes additional important safety tips, as well as information about SCE&G’s process for restoring service to customers.
About SCE&G
South Carolina Electric & Gas Company is a regulated public utility engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to approximately 706,000 customers in 24 counties in the central, southern and southwestern portions of South Carolina. The company also provides natural gas service to approximately 352,000 customers in 38 counties in the state.
