OUC Urges Early Preparation for Hurricane Season

ORLANDO, FL – On the first day of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season, June 1, OUC began monitoring two potentially severe weather systems forming off of Florida’s West and East coasts. The remnants of Hurricane Agatha, a Pacific storm that’s moved into the Gulf of Mexico, could reform into a tropical depression – or stronger – by this weekend, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm’s path is unknown but could pass over Central Florida. Meanwhile, a disturbance 200 miles northeast of the central Bahamas is not expected to threaten Florida’s Atlantic Coastline.

OUC—The Reliable One prepares year-round so we’re always ready to respond and we want the community we serve to stay safe and start preparing now, too. Follow these tips to protect your family and home before, during and after the first storm strikes:

• Register for voice, text or email Outage Alerts at OUC.com/alerts.
• Make sure OUC has your correct phone number on file by logging in to your myOUC account at OUC.com or calling 407-423-9018.
• Be prepared to protect your windows with hurricane shutters or plywood. Identify any special medical needs (refrigerated medicines, equipment requiring electricity, etc.).
• Store patio/yard items that may move during a storm.
• Locate the nearest emergency shelters.
• Create a family emergency plan, including meeting places, phone numbers and responsibilities.
• Stock up on supplies: manual can opener, cooler, battery-operated radio, flashlights, extra batteries, emergency food and water.
• Assemble a first aid kit and a two-week supply of required medicines.
• Trim back dead or weak branches from trees in your yard, but do not trim near power lines; this is dangerous and should only be done by professionals.
• Following a power outage, unplug large appliances to protect them from a power surge and fire hazards.
• Never run a generator inside your home or garage and never plug it directly into your home’s electrical system; individual appliances should be directly plugged into the generator.

For comprehensive guidelines and hurricane season updates, visit OUC.com/stormcenter and to check for outages in your area, visit OUC’s online outage map at OUC.com/outage

About OUC—The Reliable One

Established in 1923 by a special act of the Florida Legislature, OUC—The Reliable One is the second largest municipal utility in Florida. OUC provides electric and water services to about 400,000 accounts in Orlando, St. Cloud and parts of unincorporated Orange and Osceola counties. Visit www.ouc.com to learn more about our commitment to reliability, affordability and sustainability.