Electric Co-Op Crews Ready, Await Hanna

RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- North Carolina's electric
cooperative line crews stand ready to restore power should outages occur as a
result of Tropical Storm Hanna's potentially high winds and heavy rain.

In storms such as this one, with sustained high winds and stronger gusts,
power outages are most often caused by fallen trees and branches, making
outages widespread and somewhat erratic. You may have power even if someone
down the street is experiencing an outage. High winds began affecting North
Carolina's coastal communities early this afternoon and are expected to have
an impact on these communities until the bands of Tropical Storm Hanna move
well north of the N.C. coast. Because strong winds may not relent, you may
experience another power outage even if you already had power restored
earlier.

Because North Carolina's electric cooperatives are located in the communities
they serve, restoration crews will begin work as soon as conditions are safe.
If outages and damage become severe, co-op crews from unaffected areas of the
state will be dispatched to any hard hit electric cooperative to assist in
power restoration.

Prepare an emergency kit that includes non-perishable food and bottled water,
a flashlight, radio, batteries and any other items necessary for getting
through a power outage. Electric cooperative officials remind people to always
stay away from downed or low-hanging power lines. All downed power lines
should be treated as if they were energized and potentially deadly. People who
see a downed line should stay away from it and report it to their local
electric utility or 911.

All media inquiries should be directed to the Cooperative Storm Center.
Electric cooperative members experiencing power outages should contact their
electric cooperative directly. The outage reporting phone numbers for the
state's 26 electric cooperatives and comprehensive storm and electric safety
information can be found at www.ncelectriccooperatives.com.

North Carolina's electric cooperatives serve more than 2.5 million people in
93 of the state's 100 counties.

SOURCE North Carolina?s Electric Cooperatives

Cooperative Storm Center Media Inquiries, +1-1-888-411-7870