Most to be Back by Thursday; Outside Crews Assist in Restoration Efforts

Washington, D.C. - Pepco crews have restored power to more than 200,000 customers and expect to have power back on by Thursday to the majority of the 301,000 customers who lost power during Sunday's violent thunderstorms.

Around-the-clock efforts will continue until all customers once again have power restored. Pepco has brought in just over 400 crew members from outside its service territory to aid some 185 internal crew members in restoring the electric system which has been heavily damaged by trees and strong winds.

"I thank our customers for their patience as our crews continue the restoration effort," said Thomas Graham, President Pepco Region.

As of 9:00 p.m. this evening, approximately 85,000 customers were still without power , including some 65,000 customers in Montgomery County where the storm hit the hardest and generated Pepco's largest number of outages.

Customers without power may call 1-877-737-2662 to obtain an estimated restoration time. Calling 1-877-737-2662 is the best method for customers to receive estimated restoration times.

Our restoration process is as follows:

1) Life Threatening Emergencies / Assist Fire/Police

2) Transmission & Sub-Transmission Events - Typically restores several thousands of customers.

3) Distribution Feeder Lockouts - Typically restores 800-2,000 each.

4) Vicinity & Grouped Outages - Typically restores several dozen to a hundred customers.

5) Individual Outages - One or two restorations each.

Until power is restored, here are tips to keep you safe, protect your home and belongings:

• When using a generator, always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Locate your generator in a well-ventilated area. Never run it inside, even in your garage. Gasoline powered generators produce carbon monoxide and the fumes can be deadly. Store gasoline or other flammable liquids outside of living areas in properly marked approved containers.
• They should also not be stored in a garage if a fuel-burning appliance is located there.

Protecting Your Home and Belongings if Your Power is Out:

• Turn off all appliances, including your furnace, air conditioner, water heater, and water pump. That way, you can avoid a circuit overload and another outage that may result when power is restored to all appliances at once.
• Leave on one lamp so you will know that the power has been restored.

For more safety and emergency preparedness tips, log onto the Pepco Storm Center at www.pepco.com.

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Pepco, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: POM), delivers safe, reliable and affordable electric service to more than 778,000 customers in Maryland and the District of Columbia.