NIPSCO shares safety tips for Severe Weather Preparedness Week in Indiana

As Severe Weather Preparedness Week, which runs Sunday, March 9 - Saturday, March 15, kicks off in Indiana, NIPSCO is reminding customers of the steps they can take to prepare for potential severe weather this spring.

“With the spring season approaching, now is the time to prepare for potential severe weather, including thunderstorms, flooding and tornadoes,” said Vince Parisi, NIPSCO President and Chief Operating Officer. “Severe Weather Preparedness Week is a time for our customers to learn ways to keep themselves and their families safe, like creating an emergency plan.”

Here’s what you need to know for severe weather:

• Have an emergency plan and practice it with your family.

• Compile a storm preparedness kit, including essential medicines, non-perishable food items and water, flashlights, portable radios, extra batteries and a manual can opener.

• If someone in your family requires life support equipment, make prior arrangements for a backup power supply. This may mean having a generator or a plan to go to a healthcare facility that has backup power.

• If you have a generator, make sure to follow the instructions supplied with the unit, and position it away from doors, windows, and vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors.

• Label gas valves, water valves, and electricity main switches. Teach responsible family members how and when to turn them off.

• Store any flammable liquids, such as gasoline, paint, and cleaning products away from any natural gas appliance with a pilot light.

• If your appliances have been impacted by severe weather, do not attempt to place natural gas appliances back in service yourself. A qualified professional should check, clean, repair, and test all gas appliances and pipes.

• If you smell the sulfur-like “rotten egg” odor of natural gas or think there may be a gas leak, stop what you are doing, leave the area immediately, and then call 911 and the NIPSCO 24/7 gas emergency line at 1--634-3424.

Flooding safety tips:

In the event of a flood, turn off electrical power to each appliance and leave it off.

• If the natural gas is shut off at the meter, call NIPSCO to turn it back on for you.

• If water levels were high enough to cover the gas meter, call us to check your meter and regulator before using your gas appliances. Floodwaters may have shifted your home or caused other stresses, possibly resulting in a natural gas leak.

Other safety tips:

Keep candles away from furniture, draperies, and other flammable materials. Also, keep children and pets away from open flames.

• Call 811 before you dig: Whether your outdoor project is big or small, call 811 at least three business days before you dig. Your local utilities will mark their lines so you can dig safely. It’s free to homeowners. It’s easy. It’s the law. Visit Indiana811.org or http://www.nipsco.com/811 for more information about 811 and safe digging practices.

• If you leave your home while the power is out, check that all heat-producing appliances such as irons are unplugged before you leave.

• Do not touch downed power lines hanging power lines or anything touching them. All downed wires should be treated as if they are live and dangerous. Report it immediately by calling 1-800-464-7726.

For more tips on staying safe before, during, and after a storm, visit NIPSCO.com/stormsafety. Please visit NIPSCO.com to enroll in outage alerts, including updates on the cause of a power outage and estimated restoration times.