Dominion Gives Updated Info on Power Restoration

By WYDaily Staff Saturday, September 03, 2011

Dominion restored 92 percent of power to people affected by Hurricane Irene by Friday evening, with the promise that crews will work through the holiday if needed to finish the job.

"We thank our customers for their patience," said Rodney Blevins, vice president of distribution operations for Dominion Virginia Power and Dominion North Carolina Power.

"Nearly all customers still affected by Hurricane Irene will have electricity restored by Saturday night. Because of the extreme damage in some areas, Dominion may require additional time to complete the restoration. We will continue to work through the Labor Day weekend until every customer is restored.

"We understand how difficult things are for our customers without power. They have endured difficult conditions for several days, and they are counting on us to focus all available crews and equipment on the areas that remain without power."

According to the company, Dominion crews have used more than 6,000 wire splices for repairs in the past week, which is the same amount typically used in an 18-month period under normal conditions.

Crews also have replaced 11,250 insulators, 1,250 utility poles, 4,580 cross arms and 760 transformers, which is a three-month supply under normal conditions.

Since August 26th, Dominion's customer care representatives have received more than 1.4 million customer phone calls and the company's website has logged more than 1.5 million visits.

For more information on where Dominion crews will be working in the coming days, visit the storm center website.

Dominion reminds customers whose electric service has been disrupted by Irene to follow these rules:

• Stay away from fallen wires, flooded areas and debris. Treat all fallen wires and anything touching them as though they are energized.

• Follow safe operating procedures for generators. Never operate one inside your home or in an enclosed space, such as a garage.

• Do not connect portable generators directly to the electrical system of your home. Electricity could flow backward onto Dominion's power lines and endanger lives. Either have a qualified electrician perform the work or plug appliances directly into the generator using the proper-sized extension cords.

• Exhaust fumes contain carbon monoxide and can be deadly, so run your generator outside with proper ventilation. Store the fuel for your generator safely.

• Visually inspect the area around your electricity meter. If you detect or suspect any damage, call us at 1-866-DOM-HELP.