Rochester Public Utilities on severe weather threat: be safe, be prepared, be patient

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester Public Utilities is urging people to follow these three main ideas ahead of the storm Wednesday night.

• Stay away from downed power lines and always assume there is active electricity in them. If you find a downed power line, call it in to Rochester Public Utilities at 507-280-9191.
• Be prepared to lose power. Charge cellphones now, so that you can always contact emergency services and get weather updates.

"If there’s medical needs where electricity is definitely needed, plan ahead with a family member. If you think you may need a medical facility, plan ahead to do that as well," RPU communications coordinator Tony Benson said.

• Lastly, be patient. RPU will have crews out restoring power and taking care of downed lines during the storm. However, they can’t sacrifice safety for speed, Benson said.

For updates on power outages and downed lines, download the ABC 6 News app and follow Rochester Public Utilities on Twitter.