Building a more resilient household
If the power goes out, will you be ready?
Manager’s Message
Montana’s beauty comes with a measure of unpredictability. Wildfire, wind, heavy snow, extreme cold and unexpected equipment damage can interrupt electric service despite our best efforts. At Missoula Electric Cooperative, our crews prepare year-round and respond as quickly and safely as possible when outages occur. Still, household resilience begins before the lights go out.
Now is a good time to consider how your family would manage during an extended outage. Do you have a safe way to heat at least one room? If your home relies on a well, have you stored enough water for drinking and basic sanitation? Can you prepare food without an electric range or microwave? Could you keep phones charged, protect refrigerated food and operate essential medical equipment?
These questions are not meant to create worry. They are intended to start useful conversations. Many preparedness steps are simple and inexpensive. Keep working flashlights and extra batteries in an easy-to-find location. Store at least one gallon of water per person per day for three days. Maintain a charged power bank for phones, know how to open your garage door manually and keep vehicles adequately fueled.
Think carefully about any health-related needs in your household. If someone uses a CPAP machine, oxygen concentrator or refrigerated medication, work with the equipment provider, physician or pharmacist to create a backup plan. Members may also contact MEC to notify us of a medical need at their service address. While medical registration cannot guarantee uninterrupted power or priority restoration, it helps us better understand the needs within our system.
Backup power can be valuable, but it must be used correctly. Portable generators should always operate outdoors, well away from doors, windows and vents. Never run one in a home or garage, even with the door open. Carbon monoxide can build up quickly and without warning.
A generator should never be connected directly to a household outlet. This dangerous practice, known as backfeeding, can energize powerlines and place lineworkers, neighbors and family members at risk. Use properly rated extension cords to power individual appliances or have a qualified electrician install an approved transfer switch or interlock.
During an outage, report the interruption through SmartHub or by calling MEC. Do not assume someone else has already reported it. Turn off large appliances and leave one light switched on so you know when service returns. Most importantly, stay far away from downed powerlines and always treat them as energized.
Preparedness is a partnership. MEC is responsible for maintaining a reliable electric system, planning for emergencies and restoring service safely. At home, a few thoughtful preparations can turn an outage from an emergency into a manageable inconvenience.
Missoula Electric Cooperative is here to assist. If you have questions about generators, transfer switches, outage reporting or medical-need registration, please contact our office. We are happy to help you evaluate your options and prepare safely.
We also encourage members to review emergency plans with children, older relatives and neighbors, because resilience grows stronger when communities communicate, share resources and check on one another during challenging conditions together.
Taking a few steps today can make a meaningful difference when conditions change. Make preparedness a household project now, before the next storm, wildfire or winter cold snap puts your plan to the test.
