Power outage affects most areas of FluCo

Both Central Virginia Electric Cooperative and Dominion Power are repairing power outages for most of Fluvanna County.

Precautions need to be taken with food to body temperature.

Food

If the power is out less than two hours, the food should be safe to consume. Any food that is warmer than 40 degrees should be thrown away. Freezer food will keep longer.

A half filled freezer should keep 24 hours without power. A full freezer should keep for 48 hours.

Refrigerated food does not keep the same shelf life. After two hours, pack milk, other dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, gravy and spoiled leftovers need to be surrounded by ice in a cooler. Coolers as inexpensive as the plastic foam coolers will prolong shelf life.

More information on food safety during an emergency

Drinking Water

If the water filter cannot operate because the power is out, do not use contaminated water to wash dishes, personal hygiene, wash and/or prepare food, make ice or make baby formula. Use bottled, boiled or treated water until water is tested and safe.

Bottled and boiled water is the best solution to contaminated water. If either option is available, treat the water with chlorine tablets, iodine tablets or unscented household chlorine bleach. Follow the directions of the tablets thoroughly.

For bleach, use 1/8 teaspoon of bleach per gallon if the water is clear. If the water is cloudy, use 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per gallon. Mix the solution well and let the water sit for 30 minutes for using it. Bleach will not kill parasitic organisms.

More information from Center for Disease Control

Personal

Hypothermia happens when the core body temperature below 95 degrees. The three levels of hypothermia are acute, subacute and chronic.

Acute hypothermia is caused by rapid loss of body heat normally associated with submersion in water. Subacute hypothermia often occurs with cold outdoor temperatures with windchill, wet or too little clothes, fatigue and/or poor nutrition lowers the body temperature. Chronic hypothermia occurs with exposure to cold indoor temperatures.

The best ways to prevent any hypothermia are having adequete food, clothing, shelter and sources of heat; blankets; wearing layers and a hat to keep body heat from escaping from the head; and move around to raise body temperature.

Only call 911 during an emergency. Call your utility provider if you see a down power line. Do not approach down power lines and expect any power line to be live.

More information from Center for Disease Control
Snowstorm information from Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
Contact information for Dominion Power

Power Outage Information

CVEC has 56 percent of the Cunningham substation without power. The substation is the second largest in the system and services 3,729 members. With the 2,106 meters out are the most outages in the power grid.

CVEC also having problems in the Kidds Store area as well with 57 percent of the 1,886 meters served. Ferncliff substation has 585 members without power and the Henderson Store substation in the Troy area is seeing an outage of 318 in the dark. CVEC has instructed members to find overnight accommodations.

Dominion does not publish how many are without power but is showing problems along Routes 15 and 6 from Bremo Bluff to Columbia. No areas were reported to be worked on by Dominion in Fluvanna County for Feb. 6.

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Editor’s note: Fluco Blog Weather has weather forecast, closings, road conditions and power outage maps.

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