Don't go near downed power lines! Treat all wires as if they are live (energized). Report damaged lines to LP&L 806-775-2555 and 911, immediately.

Check to see if your neighbors have electricity.

Check your fuses or breakers to see if one of these protection devices has activated. If it has activated, restore, reset or replace the device.

Turn off electricity using devices and/or and unplug anything that you can that is plugged in.

Turn on a light inside the home or business and turn on an outside light.

Call LP&L at 806-775-2555 to report the outage.

Limit phone usage. Depending on how widespread the outage is, phone lines and cell phone systems may become overloaded and limit emergency communications.

Keep refrigerator or freezer doors closed to maintain the unit's temperature. The USDA says a refrigerator will keep food safely cold for up to (4) hours if unopened. Discard refrigerated, perishable food such as meat, poultry, fish, soft cheeses, milk, eggs, leftovers, and deli items if the power has been out for more than 4 hours.

Use caution with candles as they are fire hazards.

Use caution when driving, as traffic signals may be disrupted. Also, during storm events, avoid low water crossings. Have a flashlight and emergency kit ready. Use a battery-powered radio or an Internet-connected device (laptop or smartphone) for outage updates.

LP&L knows how important reliable electric service is to our customers, especially those using life-support devices. We make every effort to prevent outages but sometimes storms, equipment failure, and other events cause them to occur. Please be prepared in case electricity outages do occur. Some things that you can do to prepare for electricity outages include:

- Keep important phone numbers for your doctor, the life-support equipment supplier and/or manufacture and local electricians in a convenient location, in the event their assistance is needed

- Ensure that you have a back-up telephone that does not require electricity (cordless phones may not work without electricity)

- Have a battery-powered radio on hand with new batteries to stay aware of news and other information in a convenient location

- Keep a flashlight and extra batteries in a convenient location

- Have an alternate plan in place to ensure the continuity of any life-support needs. This may include making special arrangements to spend time with a friend or relative during an outage or using a temporary or back up electricity generation source like batteries or a generator.

- Please understand that you are responsible for the safe installation, use, and maintenance of any temporary or back up electricity generation sources.

LP&L works hard to prevent electricity outages, but if one does occur, we will be there to restore the service as quickly as possible. The electric outage map will allow you track known power outages and see LP&L's progress. Also, an indication that power is restored to an area does not guarantee your house or business has power.

Make sure we know your electricity is out. Reports we receive help us to determine the extent and location of the outage. To report an electric outage, call LP&L's 24 hr Operations Center 806-775-2555.

Please be patient. Especially during weather-related outages, damage can be widespread and repairs may be complex. Our crews focus on restoring the largest amount of customers affected first. They will always do their best to restore your electricity in a timely, safe and efficient manner. Our restoration crews are experts in getting the electricity back on. As soon as a crew arrives on the scene, they will assess the problem and begin the repair process.

* For a single outage related to overhead lines, LP&L's average restoration time is less than 40 minutes.

* For a single outage related to underground lines, LP&L's average restoration time is less than 1.5 hours.

* For a single outage related to a hit electric pole or transformer, LP&L's average restoration time is less than 4 hours.

* These average restoration times do not apply when there are are multiple outages from events such as high winds or severe weather.

Stay clear of downed lines and report them immediately!

Always assume a downed wire is energized and therefore dangerous. Touching a live line or anything near it - such as a fence, puddle, car, etc. - can cause electricity to be transmitted through your body until it reaches the ground.

This usually results in serious injury and sometimes death. If you ever come across a downed line, leave the area immediately. An energized line that has fallen across a car, fence, building or any other object can be very dangerous to unsuspecting passersby. You should never touch a person, car, tree, limb or any other object that is in direct contact with a power line.

If a power line has fallen onto a vehicle, stay away from the vehicle. Seek help immediately by calling 911. If you are in the vehicle, wait inside the car until help arrives. You are safe from electrical shock as long as you stay inside the car.

If you must leave the vehicle due to fire or other life-threatening reason, leap clear of the vehicle, landing with both feet together. Never hold onto the door while leaping and once on the ground, hop away - do not run.

Create an electricity outage kit that contains the following:

* LP&L Emergency Phone # 806-775-2555
* A phone that does not require electricity (cordless phones may not work without electricity).
* Flashlights
* Batteries
* Battery-powered radio or television
* Non-electric alarm clock
* Manufacturer's instructions on how to manually open power-operated doors.
* Bottled water and nonperishable food
* Manual can opener
* Extension cords (for partial outages)
* First aid kit

Why is LP&L providing this Outage Map information?

Providing reliable power is a priority for LP&L. However, sometimes there are circumstances beyond our control when you will lose power. This Outage Map tool was created to help you monitor and track outages -- helping you plan around this situation. Some of the features you can take advantage of include:
- Access to the latest outage information, 24/7
- Summary Map view for LP&L's service area
- Summary of how many outages LP&L is currently tracking, responding to and repairing.

Where is this data being provided?

The Outage Map provides customers with a web-based, inside view of what LP&L System Operators use to manage and restore outages and electricity issues in the LP&L service territory. This data is extracted from our Outage Management System and cannot be modified by viewers.

What will viewers be able to see?

Viewers will be able to see a static map with icons showing known outages, outages that are being responding to and outages that are being repaired by LP&L.

How often does the data get updated or refreshed?

The data is refreshed every (5) minutes.

LP&L's electric system includes hundreds of circuits serving over 90,000 electric meters in the City of Lubbock. We use a systematic approach to restoring electric service:

First, we attempt to re-energize major circuits serving several thousand customers each. Then we concentrate on restoring service to smaller clusters of customers and individuals.

When a circuit outage occurs, sensing equipment in our Operations Center alerts our dispatchers and engineers. In most cases, our dispatchers are able to take corrective action using computer equipment that can remotely open and close devices on the circuits and re-route the flow of electricity.

In some instances, employees must be dispatched to clear lines and make them safe prior to re-energizing a circuit. Service restoration may take longer if crews are hampered by strong winds, heavy rain, lightning or flooding.

If you are concerned that LP&L may not be aware of an electric outage in your area, you can call our 24-hour Operations Center at 806-775-2555. Our crews will respond as quickly as possible to determine the cause of the outage and to restore electricity to affected homes and businesses.

When you lose electricity service, your first concern is when will it come back on. Restoration of power is determined by a variety of factors -- the cause of the outage (weather, broken tree limbs, traffic accident, etc.), the result of the cause (downed power line, blown transformer, etc.), the number of outages in the area, and so on. Below, we have provided answers to several questions that you may have asked yourself during an electricity outage.

Why is my power out, but my neighbor's is on?

There are several possibilities. You may be on different circuits, OR you could have damage to the line, transformer, fuse or switch that serves your home, but your neighbor's is fine.

How does LP&L decide whose power is restored first?

Crews are sent to repair large outages first. Restoring a down circuit can bring 1,200 to 2,500 customers back at once. Once major circuits are restored, crews are moved to working smaller outages, that affect lesser numbers or individual customers.

Why can't I get an estimate of how long it will be before my electricity is restored?

With an outage event like this, crews move quickly. They assess damage at the scene and make repairs or call for additional equipment or employees, depending on the problem. Different types of equipment take different amounts of time to repair.

Why does my neighborhood have outages every time the wind blows?

The short answer is trees. If you live in older neighborhoods, with big trees, you're more likely to experience big outages AND momentary interruptions in service.