As I write this month’s message to you, Florida is reeling from the effects of the monster storm Irma, and several states are dealing with the effects of strong winds and heavy rains from the hurricane. 

 

This is a good time talk about disaster communications. Consider these principles to guide your program before, during and after the storm: 

 

You’ve probably heard me say this before, but it bears repeating. You have an emergency operations plan in place that spells out materials acquisition, accommodations for visiting linemen, food and other logistics. An equally important part of your restoration process should be how you will communicate with your customers. 

 

When communicating about a power outage, it’s easy to think "let’s just put a notice on our website." But your customers are everywhere. They are watching TV, so send announcements to your local stations. They are listening to the radio, so send updates there. For the big picture, they’ll look at newspapers the following day or two. Help those reporters tell a full and accurate story. Of course, Facebook and Twitter are ideal for up-to-the-minute reports and connecting directly with your customers. Don’t pick one; use them all. 

 

While no one enjoys being without power for any length of time — we’re spoiled by your reliability ratings with all those 9s — most customers are content to know that you are working to restore service as soon as possible. Timely announcements about what areas are experiencing outages, along with progress updates as meters are brought back online, help your customers understand that you’re on top of the situation. 

 

It’s easy to get upset with the nameless, faceless utility when the lights go out. When possible (and when safe to do so), get photos of restoration efforts that include your linemen, dispatchers, employees serving in emergency support roles, etc. Remind customers that it’s real people — their neighbors and friends — who are pulling the long hours and who are out in less-than-ideal weather working to restore their service. 

 

Don’t let the story end when the last meter is back on. Use all your communications channels — including your customer newsletter, website, social media and traditional media outlets — to emphasize that all power has been restored. Share the total number of meters impacted, including regions affected. And be sure to thank your employees for their hard work, any volunteers for their support, and especially your customers for their patience and understanding. A little gratitude goes a long way. 

 

As the old saying goes, electric distributors are either headed for a major outage, in the middle of one or just getting power restored. Plan now for how you will communicate when the storms arrive and you’ll help do a much better job of staying connected with your customers and strengthening your relationship with them. 

 

 

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Stephen V. Smith is President/CEO of WordSouth — A Content Marketing Company, serving electric and telecommunications providers since 1996. Stephen can be reached at ssmith@wordsouth.com.