Â鶹´«Ã½

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. Â鶹´«Ã½ owns and operates its own power plant that supplies steam electricity to the Kent campus.

Effects of a Power Outage

  • 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

What You Can Do

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