Power outage set for early Sunday

Customers of Russellville Electric are urged to be prepared for the scheduled power outage taking place early Sunday from 12:01 a.m. until 4 a.m.

According to Russellville Electric Board Chief Executive Officer Steve DeFoor, the outage is due to work performed Tennessee Valley Authority will be working on the city’s substation.

“TVA will be commissioning a new substation and removing the old substation at the same time,” he said. “This new substations will be more efficient and reliable and will be able to adequately accept the power load in the city for the next 30 years.”

While the power is out, Russellville Fire Marshal Steve Thornton said city residents should make sure they are prepared and safe.

“We want the public to be aware of this outage so they can have flashlights and batteries ready if needed,” Thornton said. “We want to discourage the use of oil lanterns or candles, since they could be a fire hazard if left unattended. People should also make sure they have battery-powered smoke detectors in place.”

Thornton said those who use an oxygen tank should make sure it is full before the outage. He advised cell phones should also be charged since cordless phones would not work during this time.

While crews are working at the substation, South Jackson Avenue will be blocked off from Fillmore Street to the Alabama 24 access ramp from 11 p.m. Saturday until 4 a.m. Sunday. However, officials are urging residents to stay off the roads at this time.

“We know the power outage will occur very late at night when most people are asleep, but we still want to encourage people to remain at home during this time unless absolutely necessary,” Thornton said. “There won’t be any working traffic lights in the city and it will be very dark, so we want to try to prevent any accidents from happening.”

“We just want everyone to be as prepared and safe as they can be while we make these necessary improvements,” DeFoor said.