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RALEIGH, N.C., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NC Public Power communities are experiencing scattered outages throughout eastern North Carolina due to the high winds and rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Hanna. People who live in public power communities are advised to report power outages directly to the city utility or city hall.

Public power communities throughout North Carolina work together to restore power as quickly as possible using the Emergency Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP has been activated and crews from cities not impacted by the storm will travel to public power cities if assistance is needed.

Safety Tips

* Check for electrical damage inside your home, such as frayed wires, sparks or the smell of burning insulation. If you find damage to your meter box or weather head, don't turn your power on until an electrician inspects your system and makes necessary repairs.

* Do not connect a generator directly to your home's electrical system. It is dangerous to you, your neighbors and utility workers. Follow manufacturer's directions regarding connecting appliances directly to your generator. Use a generator only in a well-ventilated area.

In Eastern and Central North Carolina, public power communities are:

Apex, Ayden, Belhaven, Benson, Clayton, Edenton, Elizabeth City, Enfield, Farmville, Fayetteville, Fremont, Greenville, Hamilton, Hertford, Hobgood, Hookerton, Kinston, La Grange, Laurinburg, Louisburg, Lucama, Lumberton, New Bern, Pikeville, Red Springs, Robersonville, Rocky Mount, Scotland Neck, Selma, Smithfield, Southport, Stantonsburg, Tarboro, Wake Forest, Washington, Wilson and Windsor.

ElectriCities of North Carolina, Inc. (ElectriCities), North Carolina Municipal Power Agency Number 1 (NCMPA1), North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA) -- More than 70 North Carolina public power communities, municipally owned and operated electric systems, serve more than 500,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in North Carolina. ElectriCities' members in NC, SC and VA serve more than one million customers. Most have been providing reliable electric service for 100 years or more. ElectriCities is the service organization that provides customer service and safety training, emergency and technical assistance, communications, government affairs and legal services to public power communities. ElectriCities provides management services to the state's two municipal power agencies: NCMPA1 and NCEMPA. NCMPA1 has 19 member cities in the western part of North Carolina and NCEMPA has 32 member cities in eastern North Carolina. More information about ElectriCities, the Power Agencies and NC Public Power is available on the Internet at http://www.electricities.com/ or at http://www.ncpublicpower.com/.