CAYCE, S.C. (Sept. 30, 2022) – More than 110,000 Dominion Energy customers in South Carolina lost power at the peak of Hurricane Ian after it made landfall with up to 85 mph wind in Georgetown at about 2 p.m. today. 

Dominion Energy reported approximately 16,000 outages at about 11 a.m. As wind speeds and rainfall rapidly increased, the number of customers without power quickly spiked to more than 110,000 by about 4 p.m. With more than 90% of the outages, Charleston, Summerville and the surrounding Lowcountry areas were the hardest hit. At about 5:30 p.m. today, outages were down to approximately 70,000. The outage number continues to fluctuate as significant bands of high winds and heavy rain continue throughout the evening.

“Ian is one heck of a fickle and stubborn storm,” said Keller Kissam, president of Dominion Energy South Carolina. “It couldn’t make up its mind where it wanted to go or how long it wanted to stay. That’s exactly why we had to be prepared – and we urged our customers to be prepared – for whatever bite Ian would bring. I want our customers to know that our crews will continue to work as hard and as long as we need to until everyone has their lights back on. Please stay safe, and please be patient.” 

An additional 700 crew members and contract resources from Dominion Energy Virginia as well as contract line workers from South Carolina, Tennessee and Maryland are reinforcing the South Carolina-based team of approximately 2,000 Dominion Energy employees who are working storm duty. In addition to line workers, this includes support personnel.

Dominion Energy urges customers to stay safe and be informed: 

• Download the Dominion Energy app. The fastest way to report or track an outage is using the Dominion Energy app, which is free in the Apple and Google Play stores. Customers may also report outages by going to DominionEnergy.com or calling 800-251-7234.
• 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. 
• Use caution when operating a portable generator. 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.  
• Natural gas lines are typically not impacted during a hurricane or severe winds, so natural gas service is rarely interrupted.  Customers should leave their natural gas service on, even in the event of an evacuation. Leaving natural gas meters on helps to maintain proper pressure in the gas piping within homes or businesses and can prevent water from entering the lines should flooding occur Customers may choose to turn off gas to individual appliances at the supply valve near each unit. However, the valve at the gas meter should be turned on or off only by qualified Dominion Energy representatives or emergency personnel.
• Follow Dominion Energy on Twitter at @DomEnergySC. The company is providing regular updates and additional tips to help keep customers informed and safe.

Customers can get real-time outage updates at Outage Map (dominionenergysc.com). For more information about Dominion Energy’s restoration process, visit dominionenergysc.com/restore.

About Dominion Energy
About 7 million customers in 15 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 safely providing reliable, affordable and sustainable energy and to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.