Meralco prepares for Tropical Cyclone Karen, issues reminders

With Tropical Cyclone Karen projected to intensify into a typhoon and make landfall over Luzon, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced on Friday that its staff and systems were prepared for an immediate response to power outages that may result from the cyclone.

"Our crews are on standby to attend to any trouble that may affect our facilities in areas that might be hit by the typhoon,” Meralco Public Information Office Head Joe Zaldarriaga said in a statement.

The electric utility also urged the public to take certain precautions in case of flooding:

• Ensure the main electrical power switch or circuit breaker is off. Be sure to keep dry at all times while in contact with any electrical facility;
• Unplug appliances from wall sockets. Turn off permanently-connected equipment and unscrew all light bulbs if possible;
• Remove mud and dirt from service equipment or main circuit breaker/fuse and its enclosure using rubber gloves and rubber soled shoes;
• Make sure all electrical wires, connectors and other wiring devices are completely dry;
• The wiring system of all appliances must be checked by a licensed electrician. Do not turn on flood-damaged electrical appliances.

Additionally, customers were reminded to charge their mobile phones, laptops, radios, and other communication gadgets.

Meralco also requested billboard owners and operators to temporarily roll billboards up to prevent these structures from being toppled by the strong winds. Billboards that fall into electrical facilities are among the main reasons for power outages during strong typhoons.

The Meralco Call Center will respond to customer concerns. Customers may text their concerns to 0920-9716211(SMART)/0917-5516211(GLOBE)/0925-7716211 (SUN).

Customers may also get in touch with the Call Center at 16211 in cases of emergencies, or visit Meralco’s website, Facebook page, and Twitter account for regular updates.

The Meralco franchise area covers 5.8 million commercial and residential customers in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and some parts of Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon. — DVM, GMA News