RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dominion Virginia Power crews working in extremely difficult conditions have restored electric service to nearly half of the customers whose electricity has been interrupted by the record-breaking winter storm. With more severe weather expected today, the company is prepared to respond to additional outages caused by even more snow, sleet and rain, increasing winds, and cold weather.

Thousands of Dominion Virginia Power employees and contractors have been mobilized and have restored power to about 101,000 of the 207,000 customers affected as of noon today. Most of the outages have been in Northern Virginia and Charlottesville areas, where snowfall in the Dominion Virginia Power service area has been the greatest.

"We are dealing with our most severe winter storm in years, one that not only interrupts electric service to our customers but also poses extreme challenges to the crews working to restore that service," said Paul D. Koonce, chief executive officer of Dominion Virginia Power. Storm restoration information is available online at http://www.dom.com/storm-center/index.jsp.

"We are focused on getting the lights back on for our customers as safely and quickly as possible while maintaining safety as our first priority - safety of our customers and safety of our crews. We urge our customers to begin making plans for how they will stay safe overnight as single-digit temperatures affect much of the state.

"Please stay clear of downed lines and use extreme caution if you must be on the roads where snow and downed trees could be affecting traffic patterns," Koonce said.

Dominion crews will remain on the road this weekend assessing storm damage and traveling to locations across Virginia. The company asks motorists to be extra cautious to ensure safety for themselves and for the utility crews driving on and working near area roadways. Safe driving also reduces the chances of motorists hitting utility poles, which becomes more likely along icy roads during and after winter storms. Work crew locations are available online at: http://www.dom.com/storm-center/crew-work-locations.jsp

Dominion expects the number of reported outages to peak late this afternoon or evening as the heavy snow and strong winds brought by storm move out of the company's service area. Crews and support staff will work around the clock to restore service. Customers should call toll free 1-888-667-3000 to report outages or downed power lines.

The highest priority for restoration is always given to public safety and emergency situations such as hospitals, emergency 911 call centers, and municipal water pumping stations. A video description of the storm restoration process is available online at http://www.dom.com/storm-center/how-we-restore-power.jsp.

Dominion offers these suggestions to its customers:

During the storm, if your electricity is interrupted:

• Call Dominion at 1-888-667-3000 to report an outage. Do not rely on your neighbors to report your outage.
• When reporting your outage, enter the phone number where you can best be reached in case Dominion needs to contact you.
• Leave one light on so you will know when power is restored.
• If using portable or camp-type stoves or lanterns for cooking and lighting, ensure that the area is adequately ventilated.

After the storm:

• Stay away from fallen wires, and debris. Treat all fallen wires and any trees or tree limbs in contact with wires as if they are energized.
• Follow safe operating procedures for generators. Never operate one inside your home, in crawl spaces 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 backward onto Dominion's power lines and endanger lives. Either have a qualified electrician perform the work or plug directly into the generator with the proper-sized extension cords.
• Clear snow from around your home's heat pump so that air can circulate properly.
• Check for ice buildup within the exterior heat pump mechanism. Ice buildup can impede the proper functioning of the fan and may require technical service.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of more than 27,500 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.

SOURCE: Dominion Virginia Power

Web site: http://www.dom.com/