A lengthy power outage in the Glendale neighbourhood on Tuesday evening was caused by a fault in an underground cable, Jim Jorgensen, manager of City of Red Deer Electric Light and Power said.
The localized outage affected power for 150 to 200 residences during frigid temperatures around -20C, with the windchill making it feel like -30C.
Jorgensen said the power went out at about 7:40 p.m. and about half the homes were restored by about 10 p.m. The remainder were back on at 11:30 p.m.
The city did have a group of people mobilized and standing by monitoring the situation at City Hall to offer warming or assistance as needed should the outage have gone longer, Jorgensen said.
Should your power go out, the city offers these tips:
- Turn off appliances and unplug all sensitive electronic equipment. Keep one light switch turned on so you know when the power comes back on.
- Think safety. Do not bring gas or charcoal barbecue indoors. Be careful with candles.
- Consider food safety during a power outage. If the freezer door is left closed, food can stay frozen for many hours (12 to 48 hours depending on how full the freezer is and what kind of food is stored there). Most food will keep in the fridge for 24 hours. Dairy products, however, should be discarded after six hours.