CORPUS CHRISTI (Feb. 2, 2007) – AEP Texas is preparing for severe winter weather in parts of its service territory in south and west Texas next week. 

If major outages occur, AEP Texas responds first to dangerous situations such as fallen wires or sparking equipment. Emergency and health-related facilities such as hospitals and fire and police departments are top priorities. AEP Texas then works to restore power to the largest number of customers. AEP Texas is dedicated to restoring power to all customers as safely and efficiently as possible. 

Here are some important tips to remember when severe weather threatens:

• Prepare your family by keeping flashlights and portable radios on hand.

• Always stay away from downed power lines, and keep others away, too. Although the line may look harmless, it could be carrying electricity. Report any downed utility lines to AEP Texas, the police or fire department.

• If the temperatures dip below freezing and the power outage is projected to last overnight or longer, consider moving to a shelter or in with friends or relatives who do have electricity.

• If you leave your house, protect your water pipes from freezing by turning the water off at the main shutoff valve and opening faucets to drain the water.

• If you use a portable generator, DO NOT plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators “back-feed” electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public. Plug appliances directly into the generator.

• To report an outage, call the number on your electric bill. If you have trouble getting through by phone, please be patient and try again in a few minutes. With widespread outages, thousands of customers call at the same time.

• Be extremely careful when using any alternate forms of heating, cooling, cooking and lighting.

• If an outage occurs, unplug or turn off major appliances and electronic equipment like televisions, VCRs and computers. Turn them on one at a time when power is restored.
 
Stay tuned to local news media for updates on the storm situation and recovery progress. Updates on major outages also will be posted on www.AEPTexas.com. AEP Texas, a unit of American Electric Power, delivers electricity to 900,000 homes, businesses and industries in south and west Texas. AEP Texas provides regulated energy delivery service to consumers, regardless of which Retail Electric Provider they choose. The region headquarters is in Corpus Christi.