Newark, Del. – Delmarva Power is closely monitoring the weather forecast that calls for snow, rain and strong winds which could potentially affect the company’s service territory Friday evening through the weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook for the region.
High winds and heavy, wet snow can weigh down tree limbs and bring them into contact with power lines causing power outages. Wet snow can also adversely affect saturated soil and allow trees already weakened by previous storms to fall onto power lines and equipment, causing power outages. Outages can also occur due to drivers skidding into utility poles along icy and snow-covered roads. In addition to internal crews available 24 hours a day throughout the weekend, Delmarva Power has overhead line contractors and tree crews available to assist in any restoration effort.
Should outages occur, Delmarva Power will work around the clock to restore service, however, customers should be prepared for the possibility of service interruptions which could last several days. Delmarva Power coordinates with state, county and local emergency management officials during severe storm events.
Customers are asked to please call in any outages and stay away from any downed wires. To report outages and downed wires, call 1-800-898-8042 (New Castle, Cecil and Harford counties) or 1-800-898-8045 (Kent and Sussex counties and Eastern Shore of Maryland). Follow the prompts and ask for a call back to confirm that power has been restored. Outages also may be reported through www.delmarva.com or our mobile app, available for download at www.delmarva.com/mobileapp. For natural gas emergencies in New Castle County, call 1-302-454-0317.
Storm preparedness tips for Delmarva Power customers:
- 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 nonperishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.
- Have adequate prescription medicines or infant supplies on hand.
- Make sure you 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.
- Identify a safe alternate location in case of an extended outage.
- Tune to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
- Follow the advice of local emergency management officials.
General Safety Tips:
- Protect electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors and consider an uninterruptible power supply for temporary battery backup power.
- If a portable generator is needed, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use only when necessary. Don’t overload it. Turn it off at night while asleep and when away from home. Never use a generator inside the home.
- Turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if it is safe to do so. However, if using an electrically operated sump pump, the customer should not turn off the power.
- Follow local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
For more information about Delmarva Power, visit www.delmarva.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/delmarvapower and Twitter at www.twitter.com/delmarvaconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.delmarva.com/mobileapp.
