At West River Electric, providing you with safe, reliable, efficient and reasonably priced electricity and services is our absolute top priority. We invest heavily into new power management technologies and professional employees who pride themselves on keeping your outage free.

Despite our best efforts, however, power outages are sometimes unavoidable. Power disruptions can occur on any day for many different reasons. Storms, small animals, system failures and even equipment problems from other power suppliers can cause power outages. While we hope your experiences with outages are few and far between, being prepared is always the best approach.

Be Prepared for Storms!

Storm Checklist

To report an outage, call YOUR CO-OP at (605)393-1500 or (605)279-2135

If your lights go off during a storm, be prepared for the power outage. Assemble supplies to have on hand rather than rushing around when the storm is coming and waiting in long lines for milk or bread. Rotate your supplies to keep them fresh and use the following checklist to prepare for power outages:

In Case of an Outage

Our dispatch center is staffed 24/7 -365 days a week to respond to outage and emergency calls. When calling to report an outage or downed power lines call your local WREA office.

Here are some general tips to prepare for outages:

• Make sure you have a battery operated AM-FM weather radio to provide local information.
• Make sure you have working flashlights.
• Have extra batteries for flashlights and portable radios.
• Have a non-cordless phone in your home- phone lines operate independent of power lines.
• Store extra water and non-perishable food.
• Some people choose to purchase back up generators for outage situations. If you purchase a generator, make sure you have a qualified electrician hook it up for you. DO NOT hook the generator directly into your home's main circuit breaker. Click here Standby Generator Installation.

If you lose power in your home or business:

• If service is interrupted, check your circuit breakers or fuses.
• If all your service is off, check to see if your neighbors have power.
• Report promptly if you think the trouble is on West River Electric's lines. When reporting an outage, or anything unusual, be sure to give your account number, location address, and phone number.
• Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer whenever possible. Food should stay fresh for at least 24 hours if the door is seldom opened.
• Disconnect televisions, computers and all sensitive electric equipment to prevent damage when power is restored.
• For extended outages or outages in severe weather situations, remember to check on the elderly and housebound people in your area.