The Best Time to Plan is Now

September is National Preparedness Month! We want our customers to think about this year’s theme, ‘A Lasting Legacy,’ because the life you’ve built is worth protecting.

PSEG Long Island employees spend thousands of hours each year working in storms and know how to prepare their homes during hurricane season and beyond. Emergencies can happen at any time and preparing ahead of time helps keep everyone safe.

How to prep for fuel, food, meds and backup power

• Having a portable generator in working order and enough gas on hand to run it for several days is at the top of most storm-prep lists. If you have firewood or a wood-burning stove, stock enough fuel to use it for heat should you lose power. To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, do not run any gasoline-powered generators in a garage or any other enclosed space.
• Fill up your gas tank – in case you need to evacuate or check on family and friends.
• Have at least three gallons of drinking water per person, a week’s worth of dried food like protein bars and crackers, and a week’s worth of required medications on hand as part of an emergency toolkit.
• Batteries for flashlights, fully charged and backup batteries and power for computers and other devices are worth having on hand. Motion-sensor LED lights are good investments because their batteries and bulbs last longer, and they are much safer than candles.

Here’s how customers can prepare for a severe storm and other emergencies:

• Create an emergency communications plan.
• Develop an evacuation plan.
• Make sure to have cash available. Banks may be closed or inaccessible after a storm.
• Bring in unsecured objects and furniture from patios and balconies.
• Compile a list of emergency phone numbers, including PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number: 1-800-490-0075.
• Discuss storm and lightning safety with your family. Visit https://www.psegliny.com/safetyandreliability/stormsafety for safety tips, YouTube safety videos and more.
• Be aware that downed wires should always be considered “live.” Do not approach or drive over a downed line, and do not touch anything it might be in contact with. If a wire falls on or near your car, stay inside the car, call 911 and do not get out until PSEG Long Island de-energizes the line. If you MUST exit the vehicle because it is on fire, jump as far as possible away from the vehicle, with both feet landing on the ground at the same time, and hop or shuffle away.

Stay connected:

• Download the PSEG Long Island mobile app to report outages and receive information on restoration times, crew locations and more.
• To report an outage and receive status updates via text, text OUT to PSEGLI (773454) or visit us online at www.psegliny.com/outages.
• To report an outage or downed wire call PSEG Long Island’s 24-hour Electric Service number: 800-490-0075.
• Follow PSEG Long Island on Facebook and Twitter to report an outage and for updates before, during and after a storm.
• Visit PSEG Long Island’s outage information across Long Island and the Rockaways online at https://mypowermap.psegliny.com.
• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest in storm preparation tips.

For more information about planning for emergencies, visit https://bereadyli.org.

For more information about National Preparedness Month, visit https://www.ready.gov/september.