Mother Nature can really pack a punch during hurricane season, June 1 to November 30, but do you know what to do to prepare you and your family for the potential threat? North, east and even west Texas can see the negative effects of a powerful storm.

Hurricanes can cause catastrophic damage to areas several hundred miles inland and winds can exceed 155 miles per hour. Hurricanes and tropical storms can also spawn tornadoes and cause extensive flood damage. Oncor is joining the Texas Department of Public Safety in spreading a message of awareness and preparedness, in the event of such a storm.

Here is what you can do to stay safe:
 

• Create a storm safety kit for your home in advance of severe weather.
   

• Have an emergency plan in place: select a safe location at a friend or family member’s home in the event of an extended electric outage or flood damage.
   

• To report an outage, text OUT to 66267 or call 888.313.4747. It’s important to have the ESI ID from your electric bill handy.
   

• Rely on Stormcenter.Oncor.com for the latest outages information and to track the storm’s path. You can also report an outage on the site.
   

• Steer clear of Oncor crew work areas. Equipment and energized lines may be in the area that could create a safety hazard.
   

• When driving, watch for crews working along the roadways, and obey all traffic signs and directions around work areas.
   

• Beware of power lines. Contact with power lines can seriously injure or even kill someone. If you see a downed power line, leave the area and call 9.1.1. In addition to the downed line potentially being electrified, anything touching the power line, such as a tree branch, could also be electrified. Do not touch the power line or anything else touching it. Make sure there are no downed lines before allowing children and pets outside.
   

• Avoid debris lying on the ground, as it may conceal downed power lines.
   

• When leaving your home and the power is off, turn off the main breaker as a precaution until power is restored.
   

When Hurricane Ike breeched the Texas gulf coast in September 2008, it brought with it winds in excess of 125 miles per hour. Some 100,000 customers in the southeast portion of our service territory lost power and our equipment suffered significant damage from the heavy rain and high winds. Areas as far north as the Dallas/Fort Worth area saw sustained winds clocked at more than 40 miles per hour, which blew tree limbs and other debris into power lines.

Since 1980, at least 70 hurricanes have made landfall in Texas causing heavy rains, high winds and flooding. You never know what Mother Nature has planned, so it’s always best to be prepared well in advance.