First Choice Power Urges People Living in the Texas Gulf Coast Area To Prepare for Hurricane Rita

(FORT WORTH, Texas) — September 21, 2005 — First Choice Power, which serves customers throughout Texas, is urging people living in the Gulf Coast area to prepare quickly for the possible arrival of Hurricane Rita.

First Choice Power offices in the Gulf Coast region will close beginning today so employees and their families can comply with local evacuation orders. This includes the offices in Texas City, Dickinson, Friendswood, Alvin, La Marque, Angleton, Sweeny and West Columbia.

The company’s 19 other customer service centers located throughout Texas remain open.

The company is recommending the following to people who could be affected by the hurricane:

• Avoid all downed lines. It is difficult to distinguish between power, cable and phone lives. Assume any line you see on the ground is energized and remain a safe distance away.

• If someone in your home is dependent on continuously operating electric-powered medical equipment, make arrangements to relocate.

• Before lowering a television antenna or satellite dish, look up for power lines. If you can’t avoid a power line, don’t do the work.

• Turn off all swimming pool pumps and filters and wrap them in waterproof materials.

• Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings the day before the storm to keep food fresh in the event of a power outage. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours if unopened. A freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full).

• Remember, if the power goes out, your electric garage door will not open. If you evacuate you home, be sure to have a door key with you so you can re-enter. To operate your garage door manually, pull on the emergency release cord and push the door up using the lift handle.

• Before the storm, turn off or unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment, especially sensitive electronics, such as computers and televisions.

• Check that emergency equipment such as flashlights, battery-operated radios and backup generators are in working order.

 

First Choice Power Special Purpose, L.P. | PUCT REP Certification No. 10008

First Choice Power Media Contact
Catherine K. Carlton (469) 484-8686
Media Relations
First Choice Power

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