Pepco Readies for Tropical Storm Hermine

Pepco officials say they are monitoring the path of Tropical Storm Hermine and taking steps to prepare in case the anticipated heavy rain and strong winds cause service interruptions.

If the storm gains in strength, it could damage the electric system and cause power outages. If outages occur, Pepco crews plan to work around the clock to restore power once it is safe to do so.

According to a Pepco news release, when winds exceed 35 mph, work from bucket trucks is suspended.

In addition to 150 internal linemen, Pepco has an additional 250 overhead line contractors and 180 tree crew personnel as well as crews from its sister utilities Atlantic City Electric and Delmarva Power available to assist in any restoration effort. Should Pepco need extra assistance, the merger with Exelon allows for shared resources from other nearby companies in the Exelon family, including Baltimore Gas & Electric and PECO in Philadelphia.

Pepco is also in contact with local emergency management officials and officials say call centers are staffed and prepared for this event.

Pepco customers can prepare for the storm by being ready for any outages. Pepco asks customers to have an emergency kit, including a flashlight, battery-powered radio, extra batteries, non-perishable food, bottled water, manual can opener, cash, any essential medications and a list of important phone numbers. All items can be placed into a large cooler which can be used at home and is easy to grab if a person has to leave home quickly.

Customers are also encouraged to identify a safe alternate location in case of an extended outage; tune to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information and follow the advice of local emergency management officials.

If a personal generator is needed, never use it indoors or inside an attached garage. According to Pepco, a portable generator is an internal combustion engine that exhausts a deadly gas called carbon monoxide or CO. Also, do not connect a generator directly to the home’s wiring. If a generator is plugged into the electrical circuits of a home, power can back-feed into the utility company lines which can injure utility workers fixing downed power lines. It also can cause downed lines to re-energize.
 
Customers are asked to report any outages, and to stay away from any downed wires. To report outages and/or downed wires, call 1.877.PEPCO.62 (1-877-737-2662), follow the prompts, and ask for a call back to confirm that power has been restored. Outages also may be reported through pepco.com or through the company’s mobile app.

Pepco also provides a “Weathering the Storm Fact Sheet” that can be downloaded, here.

Latest info & track for Hermine from the NHC. Uncertainty remains high. Rain forecast from WPC through 8 AM SUN. pic.twitter.com/LArE4jRUTY

— NWS DC/Baltimore (@NWS_BaltWash) September 1, 2016