Your neighbors may be on a different distribution line, or the transformer that serves your residence may be different from theirs. The problem may be a blown fuse or a damaged service wire in your home.
Circuit breakers and fuses route power to the different parts of your home. When one room has electricity, and another doesn't, it might be because a circuit breaker was tripped or a fuse was blown. First, go to your electric panel and try to fix the problem yourself by flipping the breaker switch or replacing a fuse. If the breaker and fuse are working, the service wires to your house may be damaged. In that case, report an outage online or text OUTAGE to 743674 (RIEMSG).
Trees cause most power outages. Storms, strong winds, and floods also cause outages. Car accidents and animals can also damage utility poles and transformers. Whatever the cause, we will do our best to restore your power as quickly as possible. Occasionally, we will schedule a planned outage so our crews can make repairs or upgrades. In those cases, we try to work during off hours, and you will be notified in advance.
If you are experiencing flickering lights, please report the issue online or text OUTAGE to 743674 (RIEMSG). A certified electrical contractor may need to check your home electrical system. Until the problem is resolved, you can stay safe by unplugging nonessential appliances or limiting their use.
The outage map allows you to view how many outages are in and around your area and restoration estimates. The time listed represent when the last person in your town, area, or village will have power restored. For the most accurate information, log in to your account to view your estimated restoration time.
Why can't you tell me exactly when my power will be restored?
We work as quickly as possible to get you back up and running. Estimating the time of power restoration is not an exact science. Work volume, the cause of the outage, and the extent of the damage can all affect our time estimates. Storms can cause widespread damage to our entire distribution system. High-voltage transmission lines are given priority because they supply electricity to our entire system. Next, we focus on substations and local distribution lines that serve multiple locations. From there, individual power service can be restored.
Learn about our restoration process
Restoring power to your home is a complex and dangerous job. We may make a repair in one place, only to have damage down the line cause the power to go out again. We may also need to temporarily turn your power off to ensure our crew's safety. If your power continues to go on and off after we have made repairs, please report an outage online or text OUTAGE to 743674 (RIEMSG).
Once we’ve ensured the safety of both our crews and the community, we clear all potential hazards such as downed wires, leaning utility poles, damaged transformers, and blocked roads. Our restoration process is as follows:
Sometimes your circuit may be among the first repaired, and other times it may take longer to get to you. When there is a delay in restoring your power, please know that we are doing everything we can. We thank you for your patience.
Our service crews must first tackle public safety hazards and make repairs to restore power for hospitals or police and fire departments. A truck may have passed your home on the way to one of these high-priority assignments.
Coordination is key to our storm response. Our crews follow specific, targeted guidance to make their response most efficient. There are a variety of reasons you may see crews idling, including:
Our electrical distribution system does not recognize town lines. The electricity source on which we may be working might not be in your town. Not every town has a supply line in their community. Crews may also be working in off-road areas or on sub-transmission lines that feed our distribution systems.
While in some cases it makes sense to install electrical infrastructure underground, it would not be a cost-effective or feasible solution to replace all overhead wires with underground services. Putting electrical infrastructure underground is extremely costly and still has its own weather-related challenges. Major storms can cause water to get into underground infrastructure that can result in outages. It can take longer to find the cause of an underground outage and repair it. Repairs can also involve digging up streets. Underground infrastructure requires special permission for manholes, duct banks, transformer pads, switchgears, and other associated equipment.
During a storm, crews can visit and survey many locations. At each site, crews must determine the degree of damage and identify what repairs and equipment will be required to restore power. Once those details are available, our team evaluates the information and prioritizes the restoration work based on the locations of critical facilities, like hospitals and shelters, and other community priorities. Safety is our priority, and crews will only restore power when conditions are safe.
Try to leave the refrigerator and freezer doors closed during a power outage. Refrigerated food can stay cool for six to nine hours. Frozen food can remain safe for up to 24 hours.
No, we do not supply generators. Sometimes local fire departments may offer generators to customers. Please contact your fire department for more information.
Comparing the performance of utilities after a major storm is not a like-for-like comparison. Many factors impact restoration efforts, including damage, the complexity of repairs, public safety/emergency response needs, etc. A major storm impacts various areas of a region in many different ways. One utility’s service area may not have been as hard hit as another’s. Additionally, infrastructure damage can vary greatly.
No. We do not reimburse customers for property damage caused by storms, acts of nature, or when we are required to turn off power in the interest of public safety. Please contact your insurance company to learn about your coverage options.