Are You Prepared for Severe Weather?

This time of year marks the start of another season of severe storms. As this time of year approaches, we encourage you to prepare your home and family.

Stay aware of impending severe weather. Local weather reports are invaluable during severe weather.  In addition, you can locate your local weather report online with the National Weather Service (www.weather.gov).  Haviland Telephone provides a direct link to your local weather on our news page (www.havilandtelconews.com). It is set up to default to the town closest to you in our service area when you access the site. We also recommend that you keep a weather radio with battery backup to be alerted when there is severe weather in your area.

Practice tornado safety. The State Library of Kansas has compiled a list of links to information on tornado safety and disaster preparedness with a couple informative resources for children.

Protect your electronic investments from an electrical strike or power surge. Your friends at Haviland Telephone remind you to always unplug your computers, televisions, modems, fax machines, VCRs, cable outlets, and telephones when the forecast is for threatening storms. A lightning strike to the electrical or phone lines can lead to serious damage to this electronic equipment, and in some cases, even a fire. To avoid the risk of injury or death, unplug everything before the bad weather starts – you don’t want to touch or be near electrical outlets and devices during an electrical storm. An electronic surge protector with a built-in phone line protector is a great idea, but keep in mind that it does not provide 100% guaranteed protection. This type of device does make it easier to unplug many items at once, so it can streamline your response to an upcoming storm. You may also want to visit with your insurance agent to check on your coverage for electronic equipment and confirm the amount of your deductible. We want you to stay informed, and stay safe, during this storm season.

Stay connected to family, friends and emergency personnel during storm season. Haviland Telephone’s facilities are underground, not aerial, reducing the chance of phone line damage from lightning. We also provide battery and generator backup for our phone system. For safety’s sake, we urge you to have at least one corded phone, since it does not require electricity and could be your lifeline in the event of storms. Please keep in mind:

• Cordless phones require electricity and will not continue to work during a power outage.
• Cellular systems and towers are not required to provide backup power, so cell phones may not operate during a power outage either. During an extensive power outage, your cell phone’s battery may become depleted and you may be unable to charge your phone without electricity.