September 4, 2008

RICHMOND, Va. – With Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hanna bearing down on its service area Dominion Virginia Power has readied repair crews and equipment for emergency restoration work over the next several days.  The company is asking its customers, especially those in coastal areas, to also take steps to brace for the storm.

Hanna currently is forecast to come ashore near the North Carolina and South Carolina border and then sweep through much of Dominion’s Central and Eastern operation areas Friday evening and Saturday. Dominion meteorologists believe the storm could still pack a powerful punch with heavy rains and wind gusts over 60 miles per hour in eastern Virginia and North Carolina.

“This storm has serious potential to cause widespread damage,” said David A. Heacock, president of Dominion Virginia Power. “We are treating it seriously, and we urge our customers to be prepared and keep themselves safe throughout this event.”
 
Dominion reminds its customers to call toll free 1-888-667-3000 to report outages or downed lines. The company’s outage reporting system, which consists of call-center representatives as well as an automated voice response unit, can handle up to 100,000 calls an hour.  Using the voice-response unit is the quickest way to report an outage or downed power lines.

Dominion urges its customers to pay attention to weather reports and to take these common-sense steps to prepare for possible outages:

Before the storm:

• Look at information about the 2008 Virginia Hurricane evacuation guidelines by visiting the Virginia Department of Transportation’s Web site for emergency procedures: http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/hurricane_default.asp
• Develop an emergency plan and special medical needs.  For the most up-to-date state preparedness information on hurricanes, visit the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Web site section on hurricanes: http://www.vaemergency.com/threats/hurricane/index.cfm
• Establish an on-line account with Dominion at www.dom.com and update it with your telephone number – including your cell phone number.  This will ensure the accurate reporting of your power outage.
• Make sure you have a battery-operated radio, multiple flashlights, and a battery-operated clock and fan, along with extra batteries.
• Make a point of having extra cash on hand. Widespread power outages could affect area ATM machines, which makes obtaining money more difficult after a major storm.
• Turn off and unplug any non-essential electrical equipment in your home.
• Put important documents in a waterproof container.
• Have at least three gallons of fresh water per person on hand. This is especially important for those who rely on well water.
• Have a good supply of canned and other non-refrigerated foods available.
• Make sure all prescription medications are filled.
• Have a full tank of gas in your car.
• If you have pets, make sure you have provided for them as well.

During the storm, if your electricity is interrupted:

• Turn off major appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters and stoves. Unplug other appliances such as TVs, stereos, microwaves and computers. This will prevent damage to the appliance and possible overloads to the company’s system when power is restored.
• Disconnect cable lines from TVs and stereos. This will prevent lightning damage to these items.
• Leave one lamp or light on so you will know when power is restored.
• Post a list of contents on your freezer to minimize the number of times you open it.
• Frozen foods can last up to three days. They are safe to eat if they still have ice crystals at the center.
• If using portable or camp-type stoves or lanterns for cooking and lighting, make sure the area is adequately ventilated.

After the storm

• Listen to your local radio station on your car or battery-powered radio for regular news and weather updates. Don’t rely on your neighbors to report your outage. Call Dominion at 1-888-667-3000.
• Stay away from fallen wires, flooded areas and debris.  Treat all fallen wires 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 hook portable generators directly to the electrical system of your home. Electricity could flow backwards onto our power lines and endanger repair crews. Either have a qualified electrician perform the work or plug directly into the generator with the proper-sized extension cords.
• Visually inspect the area around your electricity meter. If you detect or suspect any damage, call us at 1-888-667-3000.

Some useful links for the public and media during the summer storm season are:

• Dominion Virginia Power Storm Center: http://www.dom.com/news/storm.jsp
• Virginia Department of Emergency Management: http://www.vaemergency.com/index.cfm
• Federal Department of Homeland Security: http://www.dhs.gov/index.shtm
• National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation.  Dominion serves retail energy customers in 11 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.

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