For Immediate Release
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Customers Should Continue to Be Prepared
WASHINGTON - Pepco is preparing for another dose of winter weather, bringing with it the potential for significant snow accumulation as well as a wintry mix in some areas. Heavy wet snow and strong winds could bring tree limbs onto wires, resulting in power outages. Outages also can occur due to drivers skidding into utility poles located along icy and snow-covered roads.
Extra crews and customer service personnel are prepared to work throughout the storm. When road conditions become treacherous due to ice or heavy snow, Pepco will equip vehicles with chains to safely respond to outage calls. Pepco will coordinate its power restoration efforts with emergency management personnel and local government officials.
If Power Goes Out
Pepco strongly urges everyone to stay away from downed lines and report them immediately by calling
1-877-737-2662 .
Customers also are asked to call Pepco at 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) to report outages - even if their neighbors already may have called. Pepco's automated outage reporting system is the most effective way to report an outage because it immediately feeds information into computers that rapidly identify problem areas and dispatch repair crews, so that power can be restored as quickly as possible.
Power Restoration Process - How Pepco Restores Power
Once the storm subsides, crews will survey the electric system to assess the damage. As with plowing roads, it is not possible to clear side streets before the main roads are cleared. To that end, in the event our system is damaged by severe weather, Pepco repairs equipment that will restore the largest numbers of customers first. Generally, the power restoration sequence is as follows:
Pepco urges customers to stay safe and be prepared. Here are some additional tips:
Additional information may be found 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.