RICHMOND, Va., June 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- It's back, and experts are watching this year's hurricane season forecast closely. Do you have a plan in place to help you endure a major storm that could potentially disrupt your life for several days? Hurricane season officially began June 1 and the best time to prepare is before the forecast or the skies turn threatening— it's easier than you think.

Dominion Virginia Power suggests using a tool you may already rely on every day to get your home or business ready for hurricane season—your mobile device.

"We use our smart phones, tablets, or mobile devices for almost everything— to help us track appointments, set reminders, and keep our shopping list up to date," said David Vanderbloemen, director of Electric Distribution Operations.

"They can also be useful tools in helping us prepare for hurricane season and staying informed if disaster strikes. Bookmarking important mobile sites and downloading a few apps can make it easy to create an emergency plan or generate a checklist for a storm preparedness kit. When a storm hits, many of the resources you may need, from reporting your power outage to finding the nearest shelter, is right at your fingertips, if you plan ahead," said Vanderbloemen.

Bookmark these useful Dominion web pages on your PC and mobile device today to prepare for a major storm and ensure you can stay connected and informed:

• Outage Safety and Preparation (tips and resources on prepping your home or business)
• Interactive Outage Map to report and track your outage
• Instant access to your online account to track outages and receive alerts

Follow Dominion Virginia Power on Facebook and Twitter and enroll in Dominion text alerts at https://www.dom.com/textalerts  for helpful tips, updates and news.

As you prepare, consider the following apps from our agency partners:

• American Red Cross: multiple apps include first-aid how-tos, emergency plan templates, hurricane tips and more.
• FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration): weather alerts, prep tips, disaster resources.
• VDEM: Ready Virginia (Virginia Department of Emergency Management): disaster kit lists, preparation tips.
• Weather.com or National Oceanic Atmospheric and Administration: weather alerts.
• Check within your city or county for other text alert programs.

Consider adding solar-powered or portable device chargers to your emergency kit, which should also include a three-day supply of non-perishable food and water, first-aid supplies, battery-powered radio, any necessary medications, extra clothes and a blanket. To learn more about stocking an emergency preparedness kit, watch a video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kv2J4ha_U or visit www.dom.com/stormpreparation.

About Dominion
Dominion Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE: D), one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. Dominion provides energy or products and services to more than five million customers in 14 states. It has a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation and 6,500 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion also operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 933 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power