For Immediate Release
May 22, 2001

Pepco is preparing for the possibility of severe storms tonight forecasted by the National Weather Service.

The utility has taken several steps to prepare in case outages occur:

• More repair crews than usual are working overnight. Contractor crews are on standby to report to work if necessary.
• Storeroom inventory of poles, transformers, fuses, wires and other material needed to make repairs is sufficient to address storm-related damage.

In the event of an outage, customers can report lights out by calling 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662). The system handles up to 100,000 calls per hour.

If you see a downed power line, call Pepco immediately at (202) 872-3432. Stay away from any downed wire. Assume it`s live and dangerous, and warn children to stay away and notify an adult.

Pepco offers the following tips to prepare for the possibility of power outages:

• Have a flashlight and fresh batteries available.
• Keep a battery-powered radio on hand.
• Stock up on non-perishable foods, and have a manual can opener available.
• Check on elderly or homebound neighbors.

Additional tips and outage information are available on the Storm Center pages of Pepco's Web site at www.pepco.com.

Heavy rains and strong, gusty winds can cause trees and limbs to fall onto power lines or other electrical equipment, causing extensive damage. If outages occur, Pepco crews will work around the clock to restore power.