HERE

Safe Dig Month
April 2014
November 2012
Cooperative
CONNECTIONS
Inside This Issue
- Spring Storms
-Keeping Food
Safe During an
Outage
A utility line is damaged by digging once every
three minutes nationwide, and one-third of
these incidents are caused by failure of the
professional excavator or homeowner to call
811 before beginning their digging project.
We Want Your Photos!
Do you love snapping photos? Would
you like hundreds of thousands of
people to see your work? Delaware
Electric Cooperative is looking for
photos of people, places and wildife
in Delaware to publish in our annual
Delaware Living magazine. Email
photos to [email protected]!
Deadline is May 30th.
-We Need Your
Photos!
According to Brad Ebaugh, Manager of
Metering and Power Supply at Delaware
Electric Cooperative, “People die every year
from gas explosions or electrocution while
digging near utility lines.”
Striking a single line can cause injury, repair
costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every
digging project, no matter how large or small,
warrants a call to 811. Installing a mailbox,
building a deck and planting a tree or garden
are all examples of digging projects that should
only begin after calling 811.
For more information, visit:
www.missutilitydelmarva.com.
Call 811 before
any digging
project on your
property!
Contact Us:
855-332-9090
Be Safe As You Dig!
April marks the seventh
annual National Safe Digging
Month, and Delaware Electric
Cooperative would like to
remind members to always
call 811 a few days before any
digging project.
When members call 811,
homeowners and contractors
are connected to the local
Miss Utility call center, which
notifies the appropriate utility
companies of a member’s
intent to dig. Utility locators
or contract locators are then
sent to the requested digging
site to mark the locations of
underground lines with flags
or paint.
Be Prepared for Spring and Summer
Storms
Storm Safety: When Thunderstorms Strike
Beware. Spring can usher in more than April showers. Now
through the summer months, thunderstorms can quickly roll in
and tornadoes can even touch down, often during the afternoon
and evening hours, according to researchers at the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National
Severe Storms Laboratory.
Follow these tips from NOAA and the American Red Cross
to keep you and your home safe when tornadoes and severe
thunderstorms come your way.
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Prepare for high winds by removing diseased and damaged tree limbs.
Listen to local news or National Weather Service broadcasts to stay informed about storm watches and warnings.
If in a mobile home, immediately head to a sturdy shelter or vehicle.
Designate a family meeting place for shelter during and after a storm. If possible, go to your home’s basement, a small
interior room, or under stairs on the lowest level. Also, have a battery-operated weather radio handy along with emergency
supplies.
Unplug your electronics. Avoid using electrical equipment and corded telephones.
Remember that there is no safe place outside during a severe storm. If you are caught in a storm while on the road, the
American Red Cross urges drivers to turn their headlights on, try to safely exit the roadway, and park. Stay in the vehicle with
yourseatbeltonandturnontheemergencyflashersuntiltheheavyrainends.Iflightningisoccurring,avoid
touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle.
Move or secure lawn furniture, trash cans, hanging plants or anything else that can be picked up by the wind and become a
projectile.
Stay safe after a storm. Remain indoors at least 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder. Also, stay away from downed power
linesandavoidfloodedareas,powerlinescouldbesubmergedandenergized.Reportthemto855-332-9090
immediately.