Customers Urged to Avoid Floodwaters, Downed Trees, Power Poles and Lines

CAYCE, S.C. (Aug. 9, 2024) – Approximately 30,000 Dominion Energy customers lost power just before midnight at about 11:55 p.m. Thursday as Tropical Depression Debby moved out of South Carolina, representing the peak number of outages for the company during the storm’s slow crawl across South Carolina this week. More than 120,000 total customers were impacted over the four-day storm.

The hardest-hit areas were along the coast, particularly in Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton and Dorchester counties, where heavy rainfall, saturated ground and isolated tornadoes downed trees and power lines. The majority of customers were restored within 24 hours.

Crews continue to respond to scattered outages across Dominion Energy’s service territory as the lingering effects from multiple days of heavy rain have increased the risk of flooding and damage to underground infrastructure along the coast and Pee Dee region.

Approximately 2,000 Dominion Energy employees as well as crew members and contract resources from out of state – including Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and West Virginia – supported the storm response.

“I’m really proud of our lineworkers, support staff and our system itself, which held up really well during Debby,” said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “It speaks to the importance of what we do on blue-sky days ahead of a storm, such as maintaining our infrastructure, investing in the right people and equipment and safeguarding our lines through continuous vegetation management. All of that increases both the reliability and resiliency of our system.”

Tips for customers to stay safe and be informed:

• Stay away from downed power lines. Always assume downed power lines are energized and dangerous. Keep in mind the downed lines may not always be visible and use extra caution when walking outside after a storm. Please remain at least 30 feet away and ensure that others avoid the downed line. South Carolina customers should call 888-333-4465 right away to report a downed power line.
   
• Avoid floodwaters. Never drive or walk through flooded streets, which may contain hazards not visible above the water. Among other dangers, power lines could be submerged underneath.
   
• Don’t turn off natural gas service at the outside meter. If a customer’s gas meter has been flooded, contact Dominion Energy so that a technician can inspect it for proper operation. If any gas appliances haven been flooded, contact a qualified contractor to inspect before using.
   
• Download the Dominion Energy app. The fastest and most secure way to report or track an outage is using the Dominion Energy app. Customers may also report outages by going to DominionEnergy.com or calling 800-251-7234.
   
• Check the outage map. Customers can use the Dominion Energy outage map for up-to-date information on restoration progress.
   
• Follow Dominion Energy on social media. The company will provide regular updates and additional tips to help keep customers informed and safe.

About Dominion Energy
More than 4.5 million customers in 13 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 providing reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean energy every day and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.