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MACOMB, ILL. -- The following is a press release from McDonough Power:

Officials from McDonough Power Cooperative in Macomb are warning co-op members to be prepared for possible outages due to the severe weather.  General consensus is that the storm system moving through the area Wednesday and Wednesday night is producing freezing rain and sleet with ice accumulations across the area.  Severe storms could cause widespread and extended power outages.

President/CEO Steve Epperson says, “Our linemen and other employees are prepared to do everything they can to keep the lights on. But storms are very difficult to repair quickly and members should be prepared for the possibility of an extended time without power. We have 1,400 miles of line and wind can cause poles to snap across a wide area. Our first priority is to make sure our employees, members and the general public always put safety first. We want to emphasize how important it is to stay away from any downed power lines. And if you use a generator make sure you use it safely. If it backfeeds on to the co-op’s power lines it could injure or kill a lineman trying to repair the line.”

Epperson also warns that phone lines could become overwhelmed during an outage. He says, “Rest assured our employees are answering the phones as fast as possible, but when hundreds of people are trying to call in at the same time there will be busy signals. Please be patient.” To speed up the phone call Epperson says it will help to give them your name, account number and phone number.  You may also check McDonough Power’s website for up-to-date information – www.mcdonoughpower.com.

McDonough Power Cooperative is a member of Touchstone Energy — an alliance of more than 625 local, consumer-owned electric utilities around the country. McDonough Power is committed to providing superior service based on four core principles: integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. The co-op serves more than 5050 members over 1,400 miles of line in parts of Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Schuyler and Warren counties. For more information visit www.mcdonoughpower.com