Delmarva Power, city utilities warn of mass outages from Sandy

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Delmarva crews repair damage from Hurricane Irene.

Delmarva Power and other utilities are   preparing for  approach of Hurricane Sandy, which has the potential to cause devastating damage to its territory. Delmarva Power  initiated its Incident Response Plan to prepare for the storm and is strongly urging customers to get ready now for the possibility of multi-day outages.

Delaware Electric Cooperative, which serves a large part of the state, said its crews have been put on standby in anticipation of the storm.

Weather services are predicting that the Delmarva Peninsula will experience heavy rain and high winds over a long  period, which could cause widespread and extended power outages.

Our emergency teams are active, regional storm teams are communicating and operational teams are preparing for potentially devastating damage to the region’s infrastructure,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power Region President.

The company warned  that tens or even hundreds of thousands of customers could lose power during this potentially catastrophic event. The company is committed to restoring power as quickly and safely as possible, although customer and crew safety remains the top priority. Crews will begin working as soon as winds subside to below 35 mph, which is maximum safe wind speed for workers to go up in bucket trucks.

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“We’re hearing forecasts that we could see heavy sustained winds for up to 48 hours as this storm makes an agonizingly slow track across our overall system,” Stockbridge said. “If winds are too high, we will not be able to start restoration work until they die down, so it could be as long as even a day or two before our crews could safely start working to restore power.”

A similar advisory on safe conditions required in restoring power  was issued by the City of Dover, which operates the largest municipal electric utility in the state.

In anticipation of the storm, the company has mobilized all employees. The company is asking for mutual assistance line crews from other utilities. The allocation of mutual assistance crews will be determined when Delmarva Power has more detailed projections of where damage is expected to occur.  Electrical utilities in Dover and Newark announced they are making similar preparations.

Delmarva Power and other utilities asked customers and members to prepare for potential power outages and act to ensure their safety and offered the following tips:

· Have adequate prescription medicines or infant supplies on hand.

· If you or someone you know uses life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there during a prolonged outage.

· Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.

· Keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.

· Have a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate, and won’t work if there is an outage.

· Protect   electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors, and consider a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for temporary battery backup power.

· Turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if it is safe to do so. However, if you have an electrically operated sump pump, you should not turn off your power.

· Fill your gas tank so you can run your automobile to charge mobile devices. Be sure to open the garage doors to run the vehicle safely.

· Stay away from downed power lines.

 

 

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