LIVE OUTAGE MAP:
INFORMATION ON POWER OUTAGES:
South Central PPD will respond to your outage 24 hours a day seven days a week. After normal work hours, and on weekends and holidays we always have one dispatcher and two linemen on call.
For widespread outages caused by violent weather such as wind and ice storms, all available staff and personal will be called in any time of the day or night if conditions require that kind of support.
When you call our office, after two or three rings, a recorded message will prompt to dial “1” to report an outage or electrical emergency or dial “2” to leave a message. After dialing “1” there will be a pause while the system dials out on a second phone line to connect your call with the dispatcher’s cell phone. If the dispatcher is already on the phone with another customer and is unable to answer your call the system will prompt you to leave a message, which will be stored in our office phone system.
If the line is busy, keep trying because we need your information. One outage call will use two of the four available phone lines, so the other two can be filled quickly in the event of a large outage.
In case of an electrical outage:
- Check the rest of your premises to confirm that you don’t have a problem in your electrical panel with a breaker or fuse.
- If all your lights are off, check with your neighbor to see if they have lights.
Contact South Central PPD at 1-800-557-5254 or 402-225-2351 to report an electrical power outage or problem.
When you report an electrical outage, please have the following information available to assist our linemen in quickly correcting the problem which can be found on your billing statement:
For outages in town:
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For outages in rural areas:
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Remember, if the outage is widespread, the phone lines may be busy. Please be patient. Others may be calling to report outages. It is especially important to call us if you see anything out of the ordinary, such as tree limbs on the line, downed wires or wires off the pole.
After a violent storm that knocks down poles and wires, there are certain steps South Central PPD must take to restore power in the most efficient way possible. The following graphic is generic and refers to “cooperatives” instead of South Central PPD, but the basic steps are the same. View The Steps to Restoring Power.
WHAT TO DO WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OFF?
Power outages always happen at the worst possible time, frequently when the weather is bad and you need to stay in touch with the outside world for weather advisories. Follow these tips to help you stay safe. For more information and videos on electrical safety, visit www.SafeElectricity.org.
- Have a battery operated radio ready for use
- Seek shelter indoors or in an enclosed metal topped vehicle when there is a thunderstorm in the area
- Make sure you have at least one good flashlight with fresh batteries
- Unplug or turn off all major appliances
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed
- If using a portable generator, connect the equipment you want to power directly to the outlets on the generator. DO NOT connect the generator to your home’s electrical system.
- Make sure your personal computer is plugged into an uninterruptible power supply
- Have emergency numbers available
Standby Generator
- If you use a standby generator during power outages, improper generator hookup can create serious problems in safety and service. Your generator should be used with a double-throw transfer switch which will transfer the electric service from the power line to the generator. If a double-throw transfer switch is not used, feedback from the generator voltage on power lines could endanger the lives of the line crews working to restore your power and your generator could be damaged or destroyed when the power comes back on.
- Additional Information on Standby Generators is available at our main office
Downed Power Lines
Consider any downed power line to be energized and extremely dangerous. Even the ground around a downed power line can be deadly, so stay away!
- If you come upon a downed power line, don’t go near the wire or anything it is touching. Warn others to stay away. Call South Central PPD immediately at 1-800-557-5254 or 402-225-2351. Touching a live power line can cause serious injury and death. You can’t tell by looking whether a line is “hot” or not. Even if a downed line isn’t actively sparking, always assume it is carrying electricity.
- Do not trim trees around utility owned power lines – call South Central PPD to do it for you.
- If you are in an auto accident and power lines fall on your car, try to drive away from the lines. If your car is stuck, stay in the vehicle and warn others to stay away. Touching the ground and your vehicle at the same time could cause a severe, and possibly fatal, shock.
SURGE PROTECTION
No one—not even your electric provider—can control all the circumstances that can cause power surges to threaten your home. All it takes is one destructive power surge to realize how expensive it is to replace your appliances and sensitive electronic equipment!
Surges can now enter your home through:
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These surges can be caused by:
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South Central Public Power District encourages you to install appropriate surge protection to protect your electronic equipment and electric appliances.
