Cooperative members should be prepared for times in which extended power outages may occur, especially during those times of extreme weather conditions like ice storms and tornadoes.

Some of the suggested ways to be prepared are as follows:

1. Gather emergency supplies, such as candles, matches, flashlights and batteries, a battery-operated radio, a manual can opener and canned food.

2. Keep an adequate supply of non-perishable food and water on hand.

3. Know the location of the fuse box or circuit breaker in your home.

4. Learn how to reset the circuit if necessary or change a blown fuse.

5. Have a backup heating source such as a wood stove, fireplace or portable heater. This would keep you warm and keep the water pipes from freezing.

6. Identify the most insulated room in advance; that's where you and your family can gather if you need to stay warm.

7. If you have someone in your home with medical equipment, have a plan to move them to a safe place if the power is off for an extended period of time. 

8. Turn your thermostat to low and turn off the circuit breaker for your water heater to reduce a high demand for electricity once the power does come back on. This will help prevent an overload that can cause it to go off again.

9. Leave one light switch on so you'll know when electricity has been restored.

10. Find out ahead of time how to manually override an electric garage door.

Remember, during an extreme outage a number of individuals will be needing assistance at the same time. It is good to plan ahead.