High winds causing power issues across the area

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Black Hills Energy is experiencing intermittent power outages across the Black Hills region. The outages are due to severe high wind conditions through the region which began today, early morning, may continue into Friday, Jan 14.     

For outage information in your area, stay connected with Black Hills Energy by logging on to www.blackhillsenergy.com or follow us on Facebook. To receive outage notification on your mobile device, please log into your Black Hills Energy account at: https://www.blackhillsenergy.com/ or 800-890-5554 for customer support.

In an event that you experience an unexpected outage in your home or business, please follow these guidelines for staying safe:

1. If your power goes out, see if your neighbors have power. If they do, check your home for blown fuses or a tripped circuit breaker.
2. If your neighbors don’t have power or if you can’t locate the problem, contact us immediately by calling our emergency number at 1-800-890-5554.
3. If you see damaged outdoor electric power equipment, please contact us at 1-800-890-5554.
4. Do not try to remove any debris if it is on a powerline or outdoor electrical equipment.
5. If you are outdoors, never touch or attempt to pick up a fallen powerline. Assume any downed power line is energized.
6. During an outage, unplug sensitive computer and electronic equipment or protect them with a high-quality surge protector.
7. Leave a lamp, electric radio or your portable mobile computer/phone device on so you know when service is restored.
8. For long power outages do not open your refrigerator or freezer more than necessary. Undisturbed food will remain frozen in most freezers for 12 to 48 hours.
9. Do not use charcoal grills to heat your home or cook indoors. Dangerous carbon monoxide fumes can build up and cause injury or death.
10. If you use a portable generator, follow the manufacturer’s safety and operating guidelines. Be sure to operate the generator in a well-ventilated area. Never operate it indoors or in your garage. Again, dangerous carbon monoxide fumes can build up and cause injury or death.
11. Because carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless, have a carbon monoxide detector with fresh batteries installed to warn you of potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.