Power Outage

A power outage is when a community loses electrical power. 

There are several ways this may occur such as bad weather, traffic incidents, and IT issues to name a few. Depending on the severity of the situation, power may be lost for hours or even days. Kent State University owns and operates its own power plant that supplies steam electricity to the Kent campus.

• Disruption of utilities
• Retail stores, gas stations, banks, and other services may close
• Fridges and freezers may fail, potentially spoiling food and medications
• Can prevent the use of electronic medical devices
• Lights will not operate

Prepare before an incident

• Ensure you are enrolled in Flash ALERTS and your contact info is current
• Take inventory of items you have that require electricity
• Keep a flashlight handy
• Consider battery backup options for vital equipment

Respond during the incident

• Keep freezers and refrigerators closed
• Conserve cell phone battery charge by reducing use
• Turn off or unplug sensitive electronic devices
  • When the power comes back, it can cause a surge which may damage some devices. 
• Follow instructions from KSU officials

Recover after the incident

• Throw out any food or medications that may have become spoiled in a non-operational fridge or freezer
• Think about how you were affected, and what you can do to mitigate the same issues if you ever find yourself in a power outage again