Dominion Energy prepared for potential outages

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) — Strong winds are expected Saturday following Friday’s flurries, with the First Alert Weather Team winds up to 35 mph and gusts up to 50 mph in the area.

Dominion Energy says the utility is prepared for the weather event.

“The number one cause of outages is things making contact with powerlines, usually tree limbs, and the high winds can raise the risk of that,” Craig Carper, spokesman for Dominion Energy.

While Carper said they are not expecting it to be as severe as the last winter storm, Dominion Energy has crews ready in case of outages.

“In the winter, we’re prepared for these kind of events, we’re preparing for them daily. It’s just a matter of making sure you have crews in the right places, trying to look at the most up to date forecast and determine where you can prestage if necessary,” Carper said.

The cold temperatures will likely prompt residents to increase heating and use space heaters.

Fire officials are reminding people to maintain proper safety distances following a Henrico apartment fire Friday caused by an electric heater placed next to flammable materials.

“Biggest thing here and with any of these heating devices, you have to have a 36 inch circle of safety from anything that can catch on fire. The wall, the furniture, kids toys, and never ever use an extension cord with an electric space heater,” said Doug Reynolds with Henrico Fire.

Five people were displaced in that fire.

Carper urged residents to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and report them.

He also recommended preparing for potential outages.

“Make sure all those cellphones, any kind of electronic devices you rely on are charged. If you have a prescription waiting for pick up at the pharmacy, you might want to get that. Anything that you rely on, just think about what you might need for a day or so,” Carper said.

Dominion Energy is asking customers to download the Dominion Energy app to report outages and get information about outage times and affected areas.

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