Power Outages

Severe weather and extreme heat can result in Dartmouth losing power for an undetermined amount of time. A large portion of the electricity that Dartmouth relies on is produced on campus by the heating plant, but the rest is supplied by commercial sources not under Dartmouth's control. Wind, snow, and ice can cause downed power lines, cutting off electricity to part or all of campus. Extreme heat can tax the electrical grid's resources, leading to power failures. While short power outages rarely result in serious hazards, long term outages can be inconvenient and hazardous.

Recommendations

For your safety:

• Keep one or more flashlights and spare batteries easily accessible
• Take care when navigating dark spaces
• Do not use candles in Dartmouth buildings; take extreme care if using them off campus
• Do not attempt to access electrical control panels if you are not properly trained
• Keep a battery operated or hand-crank radio accessible
• Monitor local radio stations for updates and recommendations

In general:

• Use a surge protector for valuable electronic equipment
• Backup your data on an external hard drive or other media
• Remember that ATMs and cash registers often do not work in a power outage
• Keep your cell phone charged regularly and limit its use during an outage to extend battery life

For more information, please visit:

Ready.Gov: Blackouts