That can be said for both electric cooperatives and the members they serve. My co-op, Pantego-based Tideland EMC, has seen its fair share of severe weather on the coast. One storm in particular taught an important lesson about being prepared, regardless of the perceived threat.

Hurricanes are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale, measuring sustained wind speeds. But the scale doesn’t account for storm surge, rainfall or coinciding tornadoes, which typically produce the deadliest outcomes. Nor does it measure landslide potential. While experts have suggested increasing the scale to 6 to account for wind intensification, experience proves that even a slow-moving Category 1 storm can be highly destructive. I know firsthand. Hurricane Irene impacted my co-op’s territory in 2011. It was a 450-mile-wide, slow-moving Category 1 cyclone that produced an 11-foot storm surge while dumping 14 inches of rain during the 18 hours it stalled over Pamlico Sound. Helene, our state’s deadliest storm, was a tropical storm when it reached North Carolina.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives carefully monitor weather events with the most extreme outcomes in mind.

North Carolina’s electric cooperatives carefully monitor weather events with the most extreme outcomes in mind. We work with our materials supply co-op, Tarheel Electric Membership Association (TEMA), to ensure basics like line, poles and transformers are on hand well ahead of a major storm — it’s always easier to plan ahead than to try to acquire materials when they’re needed most.

We also coordinate with contract line crews and other electric cooperatives to ensure help is there in times of need. In the aftermath of Helene, contractors and crews from more than 30 electric co-ops in 11 states traveled to North Carolina to help restore power. This mutual aid was essential in restoring power to communities in an otherwise overwhelming situation.

There are tried-and-true steps that can be taken well ahead of a storm to ensure you and your family are as prepared as possible, many of which are addressed in this issue of Carolina Country magazine. Know evacuation routes. Set aside an emergency prep kit, with essentials like flashlights, extra batteries, water and first aid supplies — again, those materials that are easy to come by until you need them most. Listen to the stories from storm survivors and first responders. What worked? What didn’t? What was entirely unanticipated? What would they do differently next time?

Preparedness is a moving target, equally informed by past experiences and our day-to-day lives. That’s why local, state and federal agencies, along with electric co-ops, routinely conduct emergency preparedness drills — not just to practice their plans but to update them.

I encourage you to do the same at home and in the workplace. By working together, we can be better prepared with each story-worthy storm, building back even stronger in the aftermath.