By Gemma Q. Casas
Variety News Staff

AS Typhoon Kong-Rey approached the Marianas yesterday, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. issued an advisory to residents regarding possible electrical hazards.
CUC spokeswoman Pamela Mathis said “as winds pick up, the likelihood for sparking or downed electrical lines increases.”
She added, “Never touch a power line and never go near high voltage lines that are dangling, fallen, on fences, in trees, or on cars.”
The public is advised to call CUC’s 24-hour emergency numbers at 235-0282 and 235-2282, if they see any power lines down.
Mathis, however, is appealing to the public not to contact the hotline numbers to inquire about their power supply.
According to CUC:
• If an electrical line falls on an auto and you’re inside, do not get out and do not let anyone come near your car. Wait for a CUC crew to arrive at the scene.
• Automobiles should not be parked under power lines.
• Parents should keep children away from trees near or under electrical lines.
• If a power line falls near you, keep your legs together and feet on the ground shuffling away, never run.
• Take time before the high winds arrive to clean the yard because objects in the yard may fly into and damage electrical wires causing power outages.
• CUC will keep power on as long as the electrical lines hold, or until any one of Saipan’s eight electrical grids, or feeders, fail three times. This is the same procedure for Rota and Tinian.
Mathis said the power supply will likely fluctuate after it has been restored just after the storm.
Residents should take extra precaution to protect their appliances: unplug any appliances that are not in use; do not use extension cords, and do not leave cords on the floor where flooding rainwater can touch an electrical cord; once the power goes out, it’s best to simply turn off the home’s main electrical breaker; if you do not turn off the electrical breaker, make sure you turn off or unplug any appliances that you were using when the power went out.
During power outages, residents are also encouraged to use flashlights rather than candles to avoid fire-related accidents.
Residents are urged to conserve water during the typhoon because the supply may be limited depending on the availability of electricity.
“The utility will continue to supply water throughout the storm as long as electrical services are available because power is needed to pump water,” said Mathis.
If the power outage persists longer than expected, Mathis said the utility will issue “boil water notices.”