(CMR) Utility companies in the Cayman Islands are preparing for possible service interruptions overnight and are encouraging the general public to make the necessary preparations ahead of Tropical Storm Delta.
The Water Authority, Home Gas and Caribbean Utilities Company, Ltd. (CUC) have indicated that they are actively monitoring the storm and will make decisions on how to proceed as updates continue to become available.
CUC has already noted that there may be isolated interruptions to electricity service overnight due to the projected inclement weather associated with the storm. They will be prepared with extra Power Line Technicians, crews and Control Room Operators on standby to respond to customers’ calls.
Customers should also be prepared for possible extended interruptions to their electricity service overnight as expected high winds and inclement weather may prevent our crews from working safely at heights to conduct repairs. In such cases, repairs and restoration would be carried out as soon as the winds abate.
Water Authority also shared that depending on the forecasted path predicted severity of the storm, it may be necessary for the Authority to temporarily interrupt water service in order to protect the distribution system.
Should this action be necessary, the Authority will give as much notice as possible once such a decision has been made. Customers should ensure they have sufficient water stored for drinking and non-drinking purposes.
If you are planning to shelter somewhere other than your property, the Water Authority advises you to turn off the customer shut-off valve to prevent unexpectedly high-water bills and property damage, should a leak occur in your property's plumbing during the storm.
They also advised customers that due to expected heavy rains, sewage customers should be mindful of the potential of sewage backflow. Customers who currently have a sewage backflow prevention device installed, as part of pre-hurricane season preparations, should ensure the device has undergone proper maintenance and inspection to ensure it is not blocked or stuck in the “open” position.
Customers who do not have a sewage backflow prevention device may consider installing temporary screwed-in plugs in showers and floor drains on the ground floor immediately before the storm.
Home Gas has extended customer service agents manning the phones and there will be some operational changes due to the imminent threat of Tropical Storm Delta. They have already deployed some operational changes including fulfilling as many orders as possible this morning before 10 a.m. They closed earlier today at 2 p.m. and will not re-open until Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m.
Customers are advised that if you have a gas emergency you should turn off the gas at the tank/cylinder and call their office following the prompt for emergency requests.
CUC Emergency Notes To report power outages, call 945-1282 and to monitor the status of power outages, visit the Power Outage Map on CUC’s website at www.cuc-cayman.com.In the event of an electrical emergency, such as downed power lines and poles, customers are asked to stay as far away as possible and to call 911 immediately and Emergency Services will contact CUC.
In the event, electricity does go off for an extended period of time and customers decide to use generators, please follow all the safety guidelines for operating generators. Never connect the output of the generator into the electrical breaker panel or household outlets, keep generators outdoors in open spaces, always plug your appliances directly into the generator and avoid overloading.
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