SALT LAKE CITY — Numerous power outages have hit Utah Saturday as temperatures hit the upper-90s and even 100s in some areas.
Early in the afternoon, almost 2,000 customers were located in the Salt Lake City area. Another 1,000 were in northern Utah centered around Ogden. Power was back within a couple of hours.
Then later Saturday around 8 p.m., Rocky Mountain Power said a vehicle accident caused an outage to more than 1,400 customers. They estimated that power will be restored around 12:30 a.m.
As of 12:30 p.m., temperatures in Salt Lake City had reached 90 degrees and are forecast to go higher, with temperatures predicted to hit the century mark or higher beginning Sunday.
SafeElectricity.org suggests the following for those customers who lose power on a hot day:
- Dress in loose, lightweight clothing and stay on the coolest, lowest level of your home.
- Use natural ventilation to cool homes, and use battery-powered fans.
- Drink plenty of water and avoid heavy meals, caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
- Keep refrigerator or freezer doors closed. A freezer that is half full or full can keep foods frozen 24 to 48 hours. Foods can stay safe in an unopened refrigerator up to four hours. If an outage lasts longer than four hours, remove and pack meat, milk and other dairy products in a cooler with ice.
- Use safe alternative food preparations. A barbecue grill is an excellent way to prepare food. Always grill outside.
- Close all drapes and blinds on the sunny side of your residence.
- Take your family and pets to a basement or other cool location if you have one. Also consider going to an air-conditioned public place during warmer daytime hours.
