RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Energy Virginia crews have been working day and night to restore power after the most destructive ice storm in two decades brought significant damage to parts of Central and Southern Virginia over the weekend.

Crews will continue working as safely and quickly as possible to make the remaining repairs, which include removing trees from lines, replacing broken poles and crossarms and repairing downed power lines. As of 4 p.m. Monday:

• More than 290,000 customers have lost power since 4 a.m. Saturday.
• Dominion Energy crews have restored service to more than 85% of those customers. Fewer than 43,000 customers remain without power at this time.
• More than 6,000 workers and over 800 bucket trucks are dedicated to the restoration effort, including crews from Dominion Energy's South Carolina service area.
• Damage has been reported at nearly 7,000 work locations, and crews have made the necessary repairs at more than 4,700 of those sites.

The vast majority of impacted customers can expect their power to be restored no later than Tuesday. The company's damage assessment process is enabling updates to estimated times of restoration for customers. Customers can check the status of their outage on the Dominion Energy app or online at Dominionenergy.com. Restoration times will continue to be updated as more information becomes available. 

"We appreciate customers' patience as our crews work to repair pockets of catastrophic damage caused by the significant ice accumulations on trees and power lines," said Charlene Whitfield, senior vice president of Power Delivery for Dominion Energy. "The safety of our customers and crews is our number one priority, and we will continue to keep safety at the forefront until we have restored service to every customer."

After restoration is completed in an area, crews quickly move to other locations to supplement restoration efforts, ensuring power is restored as quickly as possible.

After assessments are made, crews work first to restore power to facilities critical to public health and safety, such as hospitals, fire and police departments, and public water systems. Next, they work to return service to the largest number of customers in the shortest amount of time. Once major repairs are completed, restoration efforts then focus on smaller groups of customers and individual homes and businesses.

To ensure the fastest response, Dominion Energy asks that customers report their power outages. The fastest way to report or track an outage is using the Dominion Energy app or online at DominionEnergy.com. Customers may also call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) to report an outage.

Here's how customers can stay safe:

• Beware of downed power lines and remember that they could be covered by snow. Assume they are energized and dangerous. Please remain at least 30 feet away and ensure that others also avoid the downed line. Virginia and North Carolina customers should call 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357) right away to report a downed power line.
• Ensure generators are properly connected. Be sure they are fueled, tested and connected in a well-ventilated area outdoors. Improper use of a generator could be life-threatening for customers and crews working to restore power.

• For photos and video, visit our website: Multimedia | Dominion Energy

About Dominion Energy
More than 7 million customers in 16 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 to achieving net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.

SOURCE Dominion Energy