High Winds Batter Metro Area for the Second Time in Less Than a Week
Trees Weakened from Prior Storms have Blown into Power Lines Causing Outages

WASHINGTON - Today for the second time in less than a week, t he Washington Metropolitan Region is being battered by high winds with gusts exceeding 55 miles per hour. Trees already weakened by previous storms have fallen bringing down power lines. Tree limbs have also come down causing widespread outages.

Pepco crews have restored power to more than 20,000 customers but the continued high wind gusts are blowing tree limbs into power lines and are creating additional outages. Most of the damage caused by the high winds and trees is in northern Montgomery County.

The high winds are in some instances preventing restoration work, however, hundreds of crews will remain on the system and work around the clock until all customers are restored.

To report Power Outages and Downed Wires Call 1-877-737-2662.

For calls to report a power outage, please call 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press one. If you are reporting a life threatening emergency situation such as a burning downed wire please call 1-877-Pepco-62 (1-877-737-2662) and press two.

The option for reporting an actual life threatening emergency should NOT be used to report an outage, as it will prevent customers with actual emergencies from getting through.

Please stay away from downed wires and report them immediately. Customers also are asked to call Pepco 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:

• Downed live wires or potentially life-threatening situations and public health and safety facilities without power
• Transmission lines serving thousands of customers
• Substation equipment
• Main distribution lines serving large numbers of customers
• Secondary lines serving neighborhoods
• Service lines to individual homes and businesses

Pepco urges customers to stay safe and be prepared. Here are some additional tips:

• Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, non-perishable food, manual can opener, bottled water, any necessary medications and a list of emergency phone numbers.
• Maintain a supply of extra blankets.
• Ensure that all household members have a warm coat, gloves, hat and water-resistant boots.
• Make sure your home has a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate, and won't work if there is an outage.
• Identify a place for emergency shelter in case of an extended outage. It is important that customers with special needs or their caregivers take responsibility to make arrangements ahead of time to prepare for potentially long-lasting service interruptions.

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.