Contact: Priscilla Knight, 703-392-1580, pknight@novec.com
NORTHERN VIRGINIA – The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative requests any customer still without power from recent snow storm damage to confirm the outage by calling 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
“Don’t assume a neighbor’s call also reports your outage,” says Allen Barbee, NOVEC vice president of electric systems operations. “You may be on a separate service.”
Tree and line crews continue on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010, to work around the clock to reconnect the few remaining customers to the electric grid. Most of these outages are in Loudoun and Prince William counties.
Since snow started turning the Mid-Atlantic region white on Feb. 5, 2010, NOVEC has reconnected more than 46,000 customers, almost one-third of NOVEC’s 143,000 total customers.
“We’re working quickly today to get every customer back on line,” says Barbee. “Customers who have access to our Web site, www.novec.com, can click on our outage map to get an estimate for when their power will be restored.”
Weather forecasters have announced that the 54.9 inches of snow that has coated the region this winter has set a record for the most amount of snow to fall since records have been kept since the Civil War.
“This week has felt like a civil war,” says NOVEC Operations Center Manager Larry Shaffer. “It’s been utility crews, snow removers, and people without power against Mother Nature. Many NOVEC’s employees haven’t been home in a week.”
“We appreciate the patience most of our customers showed while we worked to reconnect them,” says Mike Curtis, vice president of public relations. “We knew they were cold and our concern for them has kept us going.”
One customer whose lights came back on Tuesday night said in an e-mail, “Thank you for your efforts. I know that NOVEC is trying hard to restore power and had some challenges in making necessary repairs.”
Customers can get an idea of the challenges repair crews face by viewing the photos at http://www.novec.com/Customer_Services/Outage_Information/Storm-Photos.cfm.
Winter is not over, and snow is still in the forecast. NOVEC recommends that customers have contingency plans in case of extended outages, including alternative sleeping accommodations if necessary. In addition, all Northern Virginians should have fresh batteries for flashlights and radios, plenty of food and water, necessary medicines, pet food, baby supplies, blankets, and firewood for wood-burning fireplaces. NOVEC reminds customers to only use electric generators that have been installed outside by licensed electricians for the safety of homeowners and NOVEC line technicians.
