Community Corner

Power Companies Prepare for Winter Storm Outages

Crew and trucks are ready to respond to calls throughout the storm heading toward the Northern Virginia area.

Dominion Virginia Power and NOVEC are preparing for storm related power outages.

Both companies have positioned utility trucks and personnel throughout the region.

The Winter Storm Watch from the National Weather Service predicts "more than 5 inches possible with the potential for more than a foot somewhere within the watch area."

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wet, heavy snow can weigh down tree limbs and potential make contact with power lines, resulting in power outages, said Dominion’s Le-Ha Anderson and NOVEC’s Larry Shaffer.

"We have moved additional crews and contractors into the area so that they are staged near to where we anticipate the most damage from the storm," Anderson said. "In addition, we have made arrangements for utilities south of us to come onto our system to help if we have the outages that this storm could cause."

Find out what's happening in Ashburnwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

NOVEC had similar plans.

“All NOVEC and contract crews are prepared to restore electric service if snow-heavy trees and branches fall onto power lines and knock out power,” said Larry Shaffer, vice president of NOVEC system operations. “We’ve called in extra contract crews and we’ll have NOVEC employees available to work around the clock starting tonight.”  

Dominion

Dominion customers are encouraged to contact Dominion immediately at 1-866-DOM-HELP if they witness trees on power lines or leaning toward power lines. Anderson said it's best to stay away from these areas.

Dominion has also launched a mobile website for their customers who have smart devices. Using a smart device, customers can go to www.dom.com and it will direct them to the Dominion mobile site where they can report power outages and get updates.

NOVEC

Report outages at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500. Also report outages via the WEB at novec.com on smartphones through and novec.com/mobileNOVEC’s smartphone application is also available.

How to Prepare for Power Outages:

  • Update mobile phones with contact information above.
  • Charge mobile phones. Cordless phones don’t work when power is out.
  • Have a plan for elderly or disabled family members.
  • Have non-perishable food, water, flashlights with fresh batteries, battery-operated radio, lanterns, canned fuel, matches, and first aid. If applicable, have enough prescription drugs, pet food, and baby-care items.
  • Stock up on firewood if you need it and cover it with a tarp or stack some in a carport or garage to keep it the snow.
  • Unplug all electronics to protect them from power surges sometimes triggered trees and limbs contacting power lines.


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