Dominion Restores Power To More Than 1 Million Customers

September 22, 2003
10 a.m.

RICHMOND, Va. - Dominion has restored power to 1.1 million of the total 1.8 million customers who lost electric service as a result of Hurricane Isabel.

As of 10 a.m. Monday, about 758,000 remain without power in the company's service area that stretches from the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to Tidewater, Central and Northern Virginia - the exact area hit hardest by Isabel. The company has now restored power to approximately 60 percent of its customers affected by the hurricane.

Dominion's army of 9,700 employees, contractors, tree trimmers and crews from 11 assisting utilities -- the largest restoration force in company history -- continues working to restore service to the remaining transmission and primary distribution circuits ravaged by uprooted trees or broken limbs, torrential rains and high winds.

All hospitals that lost power because of the hurricane have been restored. Crews restored power to 32 primary water-pumping stations in the 30,000-square mile service area. The company is continuing to work with municipalities to identify other public infrastructure - such as schools - which need power.

Hurricane Isabel's devastating damage to Dominion's power grid included:

  • 62 of the company's 380 transmission lines - 1,600 miles of high-voltage power lines. Crews restored 41 of them by Sunday, with the last 21 lines due back in service early this week. On Sunday, Dominion fully restored transmission service to those substations that supply power to electric cooperatives.
  • About 1,150 of the company's 1,600 primary distribution circuits - 72 percent. These power lines deliver electricity to lower voltage circuits that go to homes and businesses. Primary circuits are the first circuits restored after storms. Primary circuits must be repaired, inspected and reconnected to the grid before homes and businesses can be served.
  • 2,311 broken utility poles.
  • 3,899 snapped crossarms.
  • 7,363 spans of downed power lines.

The damage by region:

Region
Damaged Poles
Damaged Crossarms
Spans of Wire Down
Northern Virginia
163
216
790
Shenandoah Valley/Western Piedmont
49
138
312
Richmond/Tri-Cities
944
1,329
2,424
Southside Virginia
105
122
459
Gloucester/Northern Neck
112
89
614
Tidewater
457
1,060
1,455
North Carolina
481
945
1,319

Dominion remains concerned about customer safety, especially from downed power lines and improper use of generators. Company officials note that unless installed professionally, generators should not be connected to the whole house electrical service. Improperly installed, the electricity could backfeed onto Dominion's power lines and injure line crews. Report downed power lines by calling 1-888-667-3000.

Dominion also called on customers to check on elderly relatives and neighbors or others with special needs who may not have their power restored.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a diversified and integrated energy portfolio that includes 24,000 megawatts of generation and 6.3 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves. Dominion also serves 5 million retail energy customers in nine states. For more information about Dominion, including dynamic updates on power restoration, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.

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