RICHMOND, Va., Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy customers in northeast North Carolina and Virginia could experience outages that last for multiple days because of Hurricane Dorian. Crews and resources are already activating in advance of the storm to ensure a safe, speedy response.

This powerful, slow-moving hurricane is expected to move through the Carolinas and parts of Virginia, bringing dangerous conditions and widespread outages, including high winds and flooding. Dominion Energy is coordinating preparation for and response to Hurricane Dorian across multiple states as the storm moves along the East Coast. Customers should be prepared for significant impacts, beginning in South Carolina and spreading into North Carolina and Virginia.

In advance of the storm, the company has relocated crews and has staged materials to be ready to assess damage and restore power as soon as weather conditions are safe. Crews and support staff have been relocated from our Northwest Region to areas where we expect the greatest impact from the storm.

In North Carolina and Virginia, more than 7,000 Dominion Energy employees and contract crew members are ready to support the restoration effort.

The peak threat in North Carolina and Virginia is forecasted between 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM Friday. Our ability to safely assess and restore power during this time will be limited due to weather conditions. We appreciate our customers' patience throughout the restoration process.

After the storm passes and it is safe to do so, our patrol teams will be out in force assessing damage and crews will begin working with local public safety and emergency officials to restore power to essential services and facilities critical to public health and safety, such as hospitals, fire and police departments, and public water systems. Crews will then work to return service to the largest number of residential and business customers in the shortest amount of time. Once major repairs are completed, smaller groups of customers and individual homes are restored.

Customers are urged to be prepared for a multi-day outage event. To prepare for the storm:

• Set up an online account to easily report and track power outages from any mobile device.
• Bookmark our website on your mobile device to quickly report outages.
• Assemble or "refresh" your emergency prep kit to include:
  • Batteries and flashlights/lanterns
  • Bottled water (1 gallon per person, per day)
  • Cash (power outages could affect ATMs)
  • Non-perishable food
  • First-aid kit, medications and hygiene items
• If you have a generator, be sure it is fueled, tested and properly connected. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and always operate out of doors with good ventilation.

If you do experience an outage:

• The quickest and most efficient way to notify Dominion Energy of a power outage is to report it online using a mobile device. Bookmark our outage reporting website: https://www.dominionenergy.com/outage-center/report-and-check-outages 
• Customers may also call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) to report an outage.
• Turn off all appliances except one light to prevent overload when power comes back on.
• Be careful to avoid downed power lines, which may be energized and deadly. Remember that downed wires can be hidden under fallen trees or branches or under flooded streets or yards. Stay at least 30 feet away and make sure your family, pets, and neighbors avoid downed wires. Call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) and stay on the line to speak with a customer service representative so we can make the area safe.

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About Dominion Energy

Nearly 7.5 million customers in 18 states energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy and is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy with about $100 billion of assets providing electric generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas storage, transmission, distribution and import/export services. The company expects to cut generating fleet carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent by 2050 and reduce methane emissions from its gas assets 50 percent by 2030. Please visit www.DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy