County officials urge residents to prepare for possible power outages, difficult travel with ice

Published 6:25 pm Monday, January 2, 2023

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Freeborn County officials Monday evening encouraged residents to avoid non-emergency travel as significant ice accumulation and snow are expected starting tonight.

Freeborn County is under an ice storm warning with the potential for ice accumulation of a quarter inch or more. Freezing rain, mixed precipitation and heavy snow are expected.

Freezing rain is expected from midnight Monday continuing into Tuesday. This will make travel extremely dangerous or impossible and has the potential to cause power outages, according to a news release.

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The Freeborn County sheriff and emergency management director encourage everyone to avoid all non-emergency travel in the area. If you must travel, ensure that you are dressed properly and have a winter survival kit with additional clothing, blankets, food, water, etc.

Visit  www.511mn.org, or mndot.gov/ for more information on road conditions in your area. 

Please prepare for potential power outages in homes and places of business. Check generators, charge cellular phones and prepare extra blankets, flashlights, food and water.  

People should not call 911 if they lose power as that line is for emergencies only. Instead, they should call their power company to report outages.

Freeborn Mower Cooperative can be reached at 1-800-734-6421.

Xcel Energy can be reached at 1-800-895-2999 or text OUT to 98936.

To report a downed power line, stay back and call 911.