Outage Safety
Always stay far away from downed power lines and assume that all power lines are energized and dangerous. |
- Stay away from any downed line, whether on the road or in your yard. To report a power outage at your home or business, call CU at 1-888-863-9001. If you want to report a downed line, even if you are not sure if it is an electric, telephone or cable line, call (417) 863-9000 and choose the electric option.
- Do not remove debris from power lines – assume they are electrified and dangerous. Use extreme caution when inspecting your property. Downed power lines, whether obvious or hidden by debris, have the potential to energize fences and other objects they contact.
- Respect any electric emergency or work scene and treat it as any other emergency scene. Please keep your distance and allow crews to work without distraction.
- Be aware of electric lines at all times, especially when moving ladders or doing any work on or near the roof of your home. Assume that any line is electrified and dangerous.
- Never climb electric poles or towers, or enter CU electric facilities, like substations.
- Always follow the manufacturers’ instructions for operating portable generators. Improper operation can be hazardous both to you and to utility workers, as generators may cause carbon monoxide poisoning and/or generators may feed power back into CU’s lines, posing an electrical risk.
- Portable Generators must be operated outdoors in a well-ventilated area to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Generators should not be wired into them, unless serviced by a qualified, licensed electrician as generators may leak power back to CU’s lines and pose an electrical risk. If your generator has been directly wired into your home without a safety cutoff switch, City Utilities will not complete the restoration of power to your home, as this poses an electrocution hazard. A qualified, licensed electrician must remove the generator’s direct wiring before City Utilities will complete the power restoration.