With the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season in full swing, Delmarva Power reminds customers to prepare for the possibility of tropical weather this week and the electric and gas service interruptions it can cause.
The company is monitoring the progress of Hurricane Earl, which is predicted to move north and likely to approach the Mid-Atlantic Coast by Friday, Sept. 3.
As a normal precaution, Delmarva Power is preparing to restore service if necessary, spokeswoman Bridget Shelton said Wednesday, Sept. 1. The utility encourages customers to prepare as well. Here are a few important steps:
- Keep Delmarva Power emergency numbers accessible to report outages or wires down. For customers reporting power outages in New Castle County, Del. and Cecil and Harford counties, Md., call 1-800-898-8042.
- Make sure Delmarva Power has your current phone number registered in its automated Outage Management System so that it can identify your location and quickly locate the source of trouble. Customers can update phone numbers online at www.delmarva.com or by calling Customer Care at 1-800-375-7117.
- Prepare an emergency survival kit. This would include a flashlight, battery-powered radio, fresh batteries, essential medication, nonperishable food and enough fresh water to last several days.
- Develop a contingency plan, especially customers who in particular rely on electricity to power life-support equipment in their homes, such as respirators or kidney dialysis machines. Decide what to do in the event of an extended power outage, such as seeking temporary shelter with family or friends. As a reminder, Delmarva Power offers the Emergency Medical Equipment Notification Program. This program provides advance notice of scheduled outages and severe weather alerts to registered special needs customers. For details, call Customer Care at 1-800-375-7117.
- Delmarva Power employees regularly prepare for the possibility of power outages and frequently participate in emergency drills. The company maintains supplies of essential equipment, such as poles, wires and transformers, and stays in contact with utilities throughout the region to quickly arrange mutual assistance in case of a natural disaster.
Delmarva Power, a public utility owned by Pepco Holdings, Inc. serves 500,000 electric delivery customers in Delaware and Maryland and 123,000 natural gas delivery customers in northern Delaware.
