NLI: Northern Lights, Inc. > Safety & Education > What to Do During An Outage

What to Do During An Outage

What to Do During an Outage

Follow these steps to protect your household, avoid electrical hazards, and help Northern Lights restore service safely.

Downed Power Line?

Stay away and keep others away.
Always assume a downed or damaged power line is energized. Contact Northern Lights immediately at
866-665-4837.


Report a Downed Line

Check and Report the Outage

  • Check your breakers or fuses to make sure the problem is not within your electrical system.
  • If your electrical system is operating correctly, report the outage as soon as possible.
  • Check the Northern Lights website and social media channels for outage updates.

Stay Safe During the Outage

  • Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.
  • Stay away from downed or damaged power lines.
  • Do not attempt to assist emergency responders or utility crews.
  • Use extreme caution when cleaning up storm damage on your property.
  • Keep children and pets away from damaged electrical equipment and restoration work areas.

Help Us Locate the Problem

When it is safe to do so, tell Northern Lights what you saw or heard and where it occurred. Helpful information may include a damaged pole, wire on the ground, tree on a power line, loud bang or pop, partial power, repeated blinking, or a blank meter display. Never approach damaged equipment to gather information.

Outage Information and Updates

View current outages, report an outage online, or return to the Northern Lights Outage Center.