HTC Ready to Respond to Tropical Storm Debby Impacts
With Weather Threat, All HTC Retail Locations Will Be Closed Wednesday, August 7
August 6, 2024, Conway, S.C.- With the safety of HTC employees, members, and the community in mind, all retail branch locations will be closed Wednesday, August 7.
With these closures, HTC encourages members to manage services and pay their bill via My Account. Other HTC resources available that will be operating under normal business hours include the Customer Contact Center, which can be reached via phone at 843-365-2154 and Residential Technical Support at 843-365-2186.
HTC is prepared for the impacts from Tropical Storm Debby and ready to respond, should outages occur due to heavy rain and storm-force winds. If members experience an outage, they are encouraged to report it via the My Account app or by calling Technical Support.
“HTC crews and employees are preparing for the storm and are committed to keeping members connected when it matters most,” said Carlton Lewis, HTC CEO. “We urge everyone to have a family emergency plan in place in preparation for the possible impacts related to Tropical Storm Debby.”
To stay informed with the latest updates, visit the website and Facebook.
Severe Weather Safety Tips
HTC wants members and area residents to be as prepared as possible. Here are some simple tips to minimize frustration and maximize safety in emergency situations:
- Have a family communications plan in place: Designate someone out of the area as a central contact and make certain all family members know who to contact if they become separated. Consider additional mobile phones for your family’s use. If you want to add additional mobile phones to your wireless service, remember to do so before an emergency.
- Keep the lines open: HTC strongly encourages subscribers to limit phone use during periods of severe weather. Keep non-emergency calls to a minimum and limit your calls to the most important ones. Too many callers can jam telephone lines and overwhelm tower capacities. Refrain from calling 911 unless it is a true emergency.
- Power outages can be a problem: It is important to note that in a power outage situation, voice services provided via cable modems and fiber to the home technology have a limited battery backup life (typically up to 8 hours) to keep those phone lines working. Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services rely on a modem plugged into an electrical source. No electricity to your home means no phone service, particularly for cordless home telephones. Telephone service served via the older copper-based network is powered via the network and not dependent on the same electrical supply as your home.
- Keep wireless batteries charged: Have an alternate plan to recharge your battery in case of power outages (i.e. charging via your car charger, power banks or portable chargers to give you extra talk time).
- Try text messaging: Many times, during an emergency such as a tropical storm or hurricane, text messaging will go through quicker than voice calls. More importantly, text messaging helps free up the phone lines for emergency officials.
- Use call forwarding in evacuation: Since call forwarding is based out of the telephone central office, you can forward your home number to your wireless number in the event of an evacuation. You will get incoming calls from your landline phone, even if your local telephone service is disrupted at your home.
- Dial 843-365-2186 for repair service: If your service is disrupted, dial 843-365-2186 or 611 toll free from any HTC landline phone to request repair service. Keep in mind that the loss of electrical power can sometimes result in the interruption of internet, telephone, and video service. As soon as the primary power supply is returned to our equipment, your service will once again be fully active. You may also use your My Account App to report outages via your mobile device.
- Lightning can be dangerous: Limit your phone use to emergency calls only during inclement weather. Lightning can travel through phone lines resulting in severe injuries to anyone on that line.
For more information, visit www.htcinc.net/severe-weather.
About HTC
HTC is the largest telecommunications cooperative in the United States. Celebrating 70 years as the local leader in communications, HTC provides services in Horry, Georgetown and Marion counties. Utilizing the area’s most extensive fiber optic network, HTC service offerings include: Internet; Video; Security; Mobile; and Voice. HTC also offers advanced business services, including: Internet; Voice and Hosted Voice Solutions; IT Solutions such as Wi-Fi, Data Backup & Recovery and Firewalls; and Business Security. To learn more about HTC, visit www.htcinc.net. For additional information about HTC or becoming a member, call 843-365-2154.
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