Power outage preventive measures
More than 200 northeast Columbia residents were left with no power for up to six hours Monday morning.
One Boone Electric customer told ABC 17 News her family was under blankets to keep warm.
Elle Novinger said she had family to stay if power was not restored, but others may not have that option.
Westlake Ace Hardware assistant manager Dave Schad shared with ABC 17 News proactive measures to be ready for outages like Mondays.
Schad said a generator costs between $350 to $400 and is ideal for these kind of situations. He also said to look at the starting and running wattage so that you know how much appliance it can handle. Not only will it keep you warm, but the food that you need will also not go bad.
“It’s something that can help you in spring, summer, winter and fall. We know this is Missouri and you are always going to have some nasty weather roll through,” Schad said.
If you cannot purchase a generator, having items that will keep you warm like flashlights, candles, snacks and water will be beneficial.
Josh Booth with Boone Electric agrees you should bundle up and keep doors shut to unused rooms.
According Booth, Monday’s power outage was caused after a bolt holding a city wire broke, causing it to fall on Boone Electric’s wire.
Booth said finding the cause was not easy to locate. Crew went from section to section using fault finders to find out where the outage initially took place.
