NOVEC reminds local residents to get ready for hurricane season that starts June 1

The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1, and Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative urges customers to prepare now for terrible and vehement storms by taking advantage of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s 2012 Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, May 25-31.

During the seven-day period, purchases of items designated by Virginia’s Department of Taxation as hurricane and emergency preparedness equipment will be exempt from state sales tax. Portable generators and power cords must be priced at $1,000 or less. Other eligible items must each be priced at $60 or less. They include:

• Flashlights and battery-powered lanterns
• Batteries for flashlights, radios, and cell phones
• NOAA weather radios and other battery- or self-powered radios
• First aid kits
• Cooler ice packs
• Manual can openers
• Bottled water
• Water storage containers
• Gas or diesel fuel containers
• Fire extinguishers
• Smoke detectors
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Duct tape

For full details, visit Hurricane Preparedness Equipment Holiday.

Be Prepared for Stormy Weather

• Designate the safest shelter location. Be prepared to leave a mobile home for better protection. Develop a plan for someone disabled.
• Have an emergency kit with many of the products listed above. Include non-perishable food, and matches. If applicable, have enough prescription drugs, pet food, and baby-care items.
• Have identification and documentation ready to grab. Keep Social Security information; birth certificates; home, car, and life insurance files; and other important documents in a water-proof file box.
• Keep cellphones charged.
• Make sure NOVEC has your current phone number to expedite outage reporting and restoration. Associate a cellphone number with your account.
• If there is time before an imminent storm, unplug TVs, DVD/ VCR players, microwave oven, and computers to protect them from power surges and lightning strikes.

Hurricanes have occurred in Virginia for many centuries, according to Priscilla Knight at NOVEC in Manassas Legend says Native Americans told Jamestown settlers in 1607 that the god Hurricano called tempests. They experienced Hurricano’s wrath in August 1609 when a “most terrible and vehement storm” raged for 44 hours.*

NOVEC, headquartered in Manassas, Va., is a not-for-profit corporation that distributes electricity and energy services to more than 148,000 customers in Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Stafford, and Clarke counties, and the City of Manassas Park, It one of the largest electric distribution cooperatives in the nation. For more information, visit http://www.novec.com or call 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.