Delmarva Power utility crews will be working around the clock and into the weekend to restore power to customers impacted by two significant snowstorms that pounded the Mid-Atlantic region this week.
Since the storms hit the region, Delmarva Power crews had restored power to more than 100,000 customers, with about half of those outages occurring during the last 24 hours, spokeswoman Bridgette Shelton said Thursday, Feb. 11. Wind conditions and heavy snow and ice on tree limbs, however, could create additional temporary outages, the company warned.
The Diamond State and the Mid-Atlantic region was hammered by a blizzard that began Tuesday, Feb. 9 and lasted all of Wednesday, Feb. 10, dropping 8 to 13 inches of snow across the state. This followed up the major snowstorm that dumped 21.5 to 26.5 inches of snow throughout the state from Friday, Feb. 5 into Saturday, Feb. 6.
“The bulk of customers will be back in service Saturday, but there will be some individual outages that could take our restoration efforts into Sunday,” Delmarva Power Region President Gary Stockbridge said.
The most time-consuming part of the restoration effort involves getting to isolated areas where access to yards and local roads poses a significant challenge, Stockbridge said.
The storm has brought down power lines across Delmarva’s territory, as they succumbed to the weight of ice and snow. Residents should assume that all power lines and electrical equipment are “live.” Company officials urged people to stay clear of downed wires and report them immediately by calling 800-898-8042.
To help customers stay safe until their power is restored, Delmarva Power offers the following safety guidelines and tips regarding:
- Stay away from downed power lines and call Delmarva Power at the outage emergency phone numbers above to report the damaged wire
- Stay away from standing water, and make sure children and pets are kept safely away
Turn off major appliances to avoid a surge when the power is restored - Clear snow away from appliance intake and exhaust vents to maintain proper airflow ventilation since blowing and drifting snow can clog such vents and create a fire hazard
- If you use a generator to supply backup power, do not operate indoors, in a garage or near doors or windows to avoid exposure to deadly carbon monoxide
- If possible, appliances should be connected directly to small portable generators by an extension cord rather than through home wiring
- Do not burn charcoal indoors, even if you have a fireplace, to avoid deadly carbon monoxide
- Keep freezer and refrigerator doors closed; open them only when absolutely necessary
- A half-full freezer will generally keep food frozen for 24 hours
More information on keeping food safe is available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture website.
