NorthWestern Energy Shares Tips For Winter Storm Safety

As strong winds and winter weather are forecasted throughout Montana this week, NorthWestern Energy customers are being reminded to stay safe and prepared before, during and after the storm.

In a release issued by the utility, NorthWestern Energy noted that they are fully staffed and prepared to respond quickly and as safely as possible to any weather-caused outages in their service area.  NorthWestern Energy is strongly encouraging their customers to make preparations for before, during and after the potential storm and offered the following safety tips.

BEFORE THE STORM - PREPARE NOW

• Charge devices - Make sure cell phones and other essential electronics are fully charged.
• Gather supplies - Stock up on water, nonperishables, flashlights, batteries and necessary medications.
• Check emergency kits - Include blankets, first-aid supplies and items for pets.

More tips are available here.

DURING THE STORM - STAY SAFE

• Stay indoors - Avoid going outside during high winds and icy conditions.
• Report outages - Use NorthWestern Energy outage reporting tools online or by phone.
• Avoid downed lines - Treat all downed power lines as live and dangerous.  Stay far away and report immediately.

MORE TIPS on how to stay safe during the storm.

AFTER THE STORM - EXERCISE CAUTION

• INSPECT SURROUNDINGS - Watch for downed lines, damaged poles and debris before venturing outside.

Here are some more suggestions from NorthWestern.

For further details on safety and also on current outage updates and information, visit NorthWesternEnergy.com.

If you are looking for the latest weather alerts and forecasts for our area, here is what the Montana National Weather Service is saying.