Be Prepared When Severe Weather Strikes

We know that spring has arrived by the warm sunny days, blossoms on the trees, and colorful flowers sprouting from the earth. Unfortunately, the arrival of spring can also bring thunderstorms and severe weather. At PTCI, we know all too well how critical communication is when severe weather strikes. 

Here are some tips to help keep you connected during a storm:

• Have at least one simple, corded phone at home. A cordless telephone will not function during a power outage. Wireline home phone service is typically available for hours after commercial power is disrupted, and these phones will continue to operate on auxiliary or battery power.
• Keep your cellular phone and backup batteries charged up if a storm is approaching. Be aware that cell phone towers typically run on commercial and battery power. When that power is interrupted or exhausted, cellular phone service can be disrupted.
• Have a car charger adapter for your cellular phone so you can recharge the phone’s battery from your car.
• Avoid using a wireline telephone during a thunderstorm. This includes cordless telephones that transmit to and from a base unit. Lightning strikes can cause significant injury by traveling through the phone lines into your home.

Because electrical outages are common during storms, we have developed plans which include permanent backup generators in many locations, along with portable generators for emergency power generation in smaller sites. In the event equipment gets damaged, we keep materials on hand so our crews can quickly restore service where needed.    

PTCI is committed to the communities we serve, and we are prepared to respond quickly and strategically to any outage to keep our customers in touch with friends and family.