Keep emergency numbers posted near the telephone, making sure Haywood EMC's number is included. Use a phone connected directly to the phone jack. Remember, portable phones and telephones with answering machines rely on electricity to operate. Make sure you have at least one good flashlight with fresh batteries. Better yet, make sure there's a flashlight on every floor of your house.
Candles are great for lighting a dark room.
Have a battery-operated radio ready. Find a special place for the radio and flashlight so they will be easy to find during an outage. Listen to radio reports in emergency situations such as a major storm. Haywood EMC will issue regular updates to radio stations throughout its service area. Turn off all the major electric appliances in your home.