When the lights go out, a few clear steps save time and keep your household safe. This guide covers how to report an outage in Ocala, where to look at the outage map, what to do with your breaker panel, and how to run a generator safely. It relies on guidance from the City of Ocala and the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. For more preparation resources, see the Ocala Living prepare page.
Report the outage
To report a power outage, call Ocala Electric Utility at (352) 351-6666, or use the MyUsage application. The city's own outage page states it this way: "To report a power outage call (352) 351-6666, or Download the MyUsage Application." You can find that wording on the city's outage reporting page.
You only need to report once
An outage only needs to be reported once. The city's questions and answers page asks residents to call 352-351-6666 to report a power outage in your area. Once the report is in, there is no need to keep calling or to have every neighbor call separately.
Check the outage map
The City of Ocala storms and outages page links to "Report Outages & View Outage Map." That link is the place to go to see outage information after you have made your report. Open the city's storms and outages page and follow that link.
Stay safe during a storm
The city's advice is plain: "Please stay indoors, avoid downed lines, and rely on trusted local emergency updates." In practice, that means:
- Stay indoors while the storm is under way.
- Keep away from downed lines and treat every one as dangerous.
- Follow trusted local emergency updates for information about conditions.
- Report an outage through the phone number or the MyUsage application instead of going out to look.
Your breaker panel
The city's questions and answers page includes a step for your electrical panel. If your breaker panel does not contain a main switch, turn off all circuit breakers. The idea is to keep your home's circuits from all coming on at once when power returns. Read the city's questions and answers page for the full guidance, and call the utility if you are unsure about your own panel.
Run a generator safely
The Florida Department of Health in Marion County offers two key rules for generator use, drawn from its generator safety notice.
Keep it outdoors
Always locate the unit outdoors on a dry surface, away from doors, windows and vents. Keeping a generator outside and away from openings helps keep exhaust out of your living space. A dry surface matters as well, so pick your spot before you start the unit and not after.
Know the warning signs
If you start to feel sick, dizzy or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air right away. Do not wait to see whether the feeling passes. Treat those symptoms as a signal to leave the area where the generator is running and get outside to fresh air.
A short checklist
- Call (352) 351-6666 or use the MyUsage application to report the outage.
- Remember that one report is enough.
- Stay indoors during the storm and avoid downed lines.
- If your breaker panel has no main switch, turn off all circuit breakers.
- Place any generator outdoors on a dry surface, away from doors, windows and vents.
- If you feel sick, dizzy or weak, get to fresh air right away.
Before the next storm
It helps to save the outage number in your phone ahead of time and to download the MyUsage application while the power is still on. Decide where a generator would go, if you use one, so the outdoor, dry, away-from-openings rule is already settled. Bookmark the city's outage page so the map link is easy to find.
Who to contact
- To report an outage: Ocala Electric Utility at (352) 351-6666, or the MyUsage application.
- To see the outage map: the City of Ocala storms and outages page.
- For generator safety questions: the Florida Department of Health in Marion County, whose generator safety notice is cited above.
Sources
Compiled from the official sources below.