Press Release

Alliant Energy advises caution around flooded homes and businesses in Oelwein area

Oelwein, IA – July 7, 2010 – Recent heavy rainfalls in eastern Iowa and in particular, Fayette and Buchanan counties, have impacted communities, disrupted lives and damaged personal property. Flooded homes and businesses have also been a problem for many people. Walking through a wet or flooded home or building can be dangerous. Alliant Energy advises people to use extreme caution in this situation and offers the following guidelines to ensure safety.

• Never walk through a flooded home or building until the electricity is disconnected. Even a small amount of water on the floor of your basement can put you at risk for electrocution.
• Avoid electric poles and power lines that are surrounded by flood waters. Customers should always assume that power lines in flooded areas are energized and avoid these flooded areas.
• Call Alliant Energy to have service disconnected at the meter.  If there is standing water in your home or business, call Alliant Energy at 1-800-ALLIANT (255-4268) to have power disconnected before you step into any standing water. Once the power is disconnected, it’s safe to begin clean up. 
• Call Alliant Energy to have your natural gas turned off. Standing water can snuff out pilot lights on hot water heaters and furnaces. If this occurs, natural gas may collect in your home, creating the risk of an explosion. Call Alliant Energy at 1-800-ALLIANT (255-4268) to have your home’s natural gas service turned off.
• Have a certified electrician inspect your electrical system and/or your furnace and water heater before calling to be reconnected. 

Alliant Energy does not charge for flood-related disconnects and reconnects.  Shutting off your gas and electric service during times of flooding is done for safety purposes. Alliant Energy will not charge you to have your service turned off when flooding occurs, or turned back on after the clean-up is done.

For more information, call Alliant Energy’s 24-hour Customer Service Center at 1-800-255-4268. You can also check out the Storm and Outage Center in the Utility Services section of our website at www.alliantenergy.com.

Media Contact: Ryan Stensland, (319) 786-4171