Contact: NOVEC Public Relations, 1-888-335-0500, communications@novec.com
MANASSAS, Va., Saturday, March 3 -- Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative crews will work all weekend and Monday to restore service to customers who lost power during Winter Storm Riley. The storm’s high winds caused power outages to more than 47,000 customers on Friday, March 2, and continue to cause outages on March 3.
As of 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, NOVEC crews -- and crews that have come to help from Tennessee and Georgia -- are working to restore service to approximately 9,000 customers in NOVEC’s six-county service territory.
According to media reports, electric utilities in Virginia, Washington D.C., and Maryland are working to restore power to more than half a million customers.
High winds gusting as fast as 71 miles per hour on Friday caused most of the outages when they blew trees and branches onto power lines. Although winds are not as strong on Saturday, they are still causing outages.
“Winds approaching hurricane strength were a problem yesterday,” explains Dan Swingle, NOVEC vice president of system operations, “but we’re making a lot more progress today now that winds have calmed down some. Our goal is to have most -- if not all -- customers back online by Monday afternoon.”
Swingle says, “We know everyone wants their power back on right away, but we ask customers to be patient as we repair damage.”
Customers can see NOVEC’s outage map by going to www.novec.com and selecting “Outage Center.” Customers can also follow what is happening on social media, but should never report an outage there.
“We need a customer’s address and account number for outage reporting -- personal information customers should never post on social media,” explains Tong Thomas, manager of NOVEC’s Customer Care Center. “Call us instead, use our text-reporting system, or report the outage on our secure website. These methods are the safest and quickest way to communicate with us and have service restored.”
What to do if a Power Outage Occurs
- Either call NOVEC at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500, follow the text-message instructions, or report an outage at www.novec.com. Have your account number ready.
- Warning: Stay away from downed power lines and poles and the area around them. Be aware that even metal storm debris hiding a live downed power line can shock or electrocute anyone who comes in contact with it. Notify NOVEC immediately about down lines at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
- Use flashlights, lanterns, or battery-powered candles instead of real candles. If you use real candles, keep them away from children and flammable household furnishings.
- Open freezers and refrigerators only when necessary. Put needed perishable food in coolers with ice or ice packs.
- Warning: Only use a portable generator, camp stove, or charcoal grill outdoors to prevent creating deadly carbon-monoxide fumes indoors. Hire a professional to install a whole-house generator because an incorrectly installed generator could back-feed electricity onto the grid and seriously harm line techs who are trying to restore service.
- After power is restored, please wait five to ten minutes before turning on major appliances and heating systems.
Learn more about storm preparation and outages at www.novec.com/outageinfo.
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