EFTA01047891.pdf

From: Cecile de Jongh To: Jeanne Brennan , Jennaine Ruan , Daphne Wallace Una Pascal , Ann Rodriquez Cc: Richard Kahn < >, J E <jeevacation®gmail.com> Subject: Fwd: Keeping You Informed: WAPA Urges Preparedness for 2018 Hurricane Season Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2018 11:32:45 +0000 Good morning All, FYI - I will be sending you a Hurricane Preparedness Guideline next week. We all need to be prepared personally so that we can focus on the office and the steps needed to be taken to secure it when necessary. With warm regards, Cecile Sent from my iPhone and misspellings courtesy of iPhone. Begin forwarded message: From: Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Date: June 1, 2018 at 6:17:44 AM AST To: Subject: Kee in You Informed: WAPA U es Preparedness for 2018 Hurricane Season Reply-To: Having trouble viewing this email? Click here EFTA01047891 R EFTA01047892  June 1, 2018 Dear WAPA Customer, With the start of the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season today, I take this opportunity to inform you that the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority continues fine- tuning its disaster preparedness plan in the event the territory is impacted by a storm system this year. In March, WAPA completed the restoration of electrical service and is now making permanent repairs to the electric grid. In addition, improvements are being made at both power plants, and on the distribution systems. We are ensuring that lessons learned about how best to fare any storm system, and how quickly the Authority recovers, are implemented. While WAPA has received funding for a number of mitigation projects, we are mindful that not many will be fully implemented in advance of the 2018 hurricane season. The composite pole installation project is well on its way on St. John, getting started on St. Croix and contractors will be mobilized shortly on St. EFTA01047893 Thomas. New generators planned for both power plants are making their way to the territory, and WAPA is fast-tracking acquisition, permitting and installation of the stand-alone generators for St. John. By the peak of the hurricane season, our goal is to have our plants and distribution systems in a better place with some levels of resiliency built in. In addition, the Authority has an agreement in place with the American Public Power Association (APPA) so that crews from municipal utilities can begin mobilizing men, women, and equipment should a storm threaten the Virgin Islands. In the event of an impact, those crews would be immediately dispatched to the territory. Internally, the Authority has issued requests for proposals for private companies interested in working with WAPA to restore service in a post-storm scenario, and ensuring vendors are in place to provide materials and supplies. We have also identified strategic storage locations to safeguard the many transformers, rolls of cable and primary wire, poles, hardware, and other equipment that are presently on-island, and would be needed in the immediate aftermath of a storm. I would also like to remind you to sign up today for WAPA ALERTS the Authority's new mass messaging system. Through this system, WAPA issues notifications to the public of service interruptions, restoration times, road closures caused by ongoing projects and other pertinent information. During the 2018 hurricane season, WAPA ALERTS will be a primary messaging vehicle for updates about the utility's storm preparations, as well as any post-storm restoration that may be required. To sign up for WAPA ALERTS, click here. Lawrence J. Kupfer Executive Director/ CEO PREPARING YOUR HOME OR BUSINESS All residents should prepare a SURVIVAL KIT that, at minimum, includes: • Canned Foods - Milk, sardines, tuna, corned beef, vegetables & peanut butter. Be sure to include a manual can opener. • Water - Store in clean containers with tightly fitting lids, fill washing machine, fill containers to flush toilets. • Dry Goods - Biscuits, granola bars, cereal, nuts, dried fruits and high energy snacks. • Baby Food & Supplies - Formula, water purifier, diapers, Vaseline, powder & bottled foods. • First Aid & Medication - Get extra supplies of prescription medication and check supplies of first aid kit. • Pet & Livestock Provisions - Make a plan now for what you will do with pets if you need to evacuate. Before a storm: • Replenish supplies of batteries, non-perishable foods. • Charge cell phones. • Check working conditions of radios and flashlights. • Monitor weather updates. • Turn refrigerator and freezer to its coldest setting to keep food fresh as long as possible. Avoid opening doors frequently. • Install hurricane shutters. • Prepare windows with boards or tape. EFTA01047894  • Secure objects around your home that may fly away and cause danger. • Unplug electrical equipment. • Discuss with your family the type of hazards that could affect your home: storm surge, flooding and wind; devise and agree to an evacuation plan. • Consume perishable foods first, then frozen foods. After a storm: • Monitor local news reports • Stay clear of downed power lines. • Do not cut power or telephone lines. • Do not touch fallen or low-hanging wires. • Report unsafe electrical conditions. • Locate generators away from open windows and enclosed areas STAY CLEAR OF DOWNED POWER LINES Hurricanes and other severe weather can down power lines. Always assume power lines are ENERGIZED. Power lines that are de-energized could become energized at any time. A live wire touching the ground can cause electricity to travel through the ground, radiating outward from the contact point. STAY CLEAR! NEVER touch a downed power line! And never touch a person or object that is touching a power line. DO NOT TOUCH OR MOVE someone who has been injured as a result of electric contact. You could be injured or killed. Call 911. STAY INSIDE YOUR VEHICLE - If a power line falls across your vehicle while you are in it, stay inside your vehicle until help arrives. Warn others to stay away from the vehicle. If your vehicle is on fire and you must exit, jump clear so that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground. Keeping both feet together, shuffle and hop until you are at least 30 feet away. A downed power line can be a very dangerous line! It could cause serious injury or death. CONTACT US / STAY IN TOUCH St. Thomas-St. John, Water Island WAPA Office St. Croix WAPA Office M. Box 1450 M. Box 5997 Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas Christiansted, St. Croix U.S. Virgin Islands 00804-1450 U.S. Virgin Islands 00823 Tel: (340) 774-3552 - St. Thomas, Water Island Tel: (340) 773-2250 Tel: (340) 776-6446 - St. John This message is provided as a public service by the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority EFTA01047895 Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority, Box 1450, St. Thomas, 00804 Virgin Islands, U.S. SafeUnsubscriber" Forward this email I Update Profile l About our service provider Sent by in collaboration with W2, Constant Contact Try it free today EFTA01047896