Call 8-1-1 Before You Dig   Electrical Emergencies   Outages & Storm Preparation   Safety Tips   Safety Materials   Wildfire Mitigation Plan  

If you have an outage call us 24/7 at 1-888-582-2176

The Tri-Cities is notorious for strong winds that may cause the power to go out. Benton PUD has line crews on call around the clock, 24/7, ready to restore power as quickly as possible.

Tips to keep you safe:

  1. Keep flashlights ready and in an easy place to find. A flashlight in the bottom of a closet may be hard to find in the dark.
  2. If your phone is cordless, it relies on power to work. To assure phone service, have one phone that doesn’t need power or keep extra charged phone batteries or a charged power bank available.
  3. If you have an electric garage door opener, know how to open it manually.
  4. Avoid opening your refrigerator or freezer. The contents should be good for at least 24 hours if the door is kept closed.
  5. When the power goes out, try to remember what was turned on at the time and turn those items off. It's especially important to turn off anything that has a heating element, such as the electric range, an iron, or a toaster oven. They could cause a fire when the power is restored. Turning switches off not only helps prevent fires; it will help us restore power faster. If too many items are on when the power is restored, the electric system could be overloaded and go out again.
  6. If you need power for medical reasons it is important to have a plan in case of an outage. Be prepared to go someplace that has power or to the hospital.
  7. If you use a portable generator it must be connected through an approved transfer switch that is isolated from Benton PUD's system. Please call us if you have questions about generators. 
  8. Never use ovens, barbecues, portable heaters or generators indoors as they produce toxic fumes that can be deadly.
  9. Keep blankets and other flammable materials away from lit candles.
  10. If you do have an outage, call Benton PUD at 1-888-582-2176.  Please do not call 9-1-1 to report it. 9-1-1 should be used only for an emergency.
  11. Sign up for SmartHub text alert and email notifications to get quick updates on outages and Benton PUD programs.

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