x
Skip Navigation
Breaking News
More () »
My City

Dominion Energy deploys extra crews to Hampton Roads, North Carolina ahead of Dorian

Crews will stage at various locations, like Busch Gardens, the Hampton Coliseum and Roanoke Rapids, N.C.

More Videos

Next up in 5

Example video title will go here for this video

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Dominion Energy crews were conducting regularly scheduled work Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Dorian's expected arrival in the Outer Banks and Hampton Roads.

Thursday and Friday will likely be irregular for crews, though, as the storm moves in.

For now, crews are stocking up trucks with extra equipment and turning their attention toward problem-prone areas.

"We have so many different areas, underground, overhead, etc., it helps to have a good combination of everything on most vehicles. Some vehicles specialize in other things," Sean Jones, a lead lineman in Virginia Beach, said.

Additional crews from across the region will be headed to Hampton Roads and North Carolina starting Thursday, staging at Roanoke Rapids, the Hampton Coliseum and Busch Gardens.

Jones said he's been through plenty of storms in his two decades on the job.

"Oh no. There’s never one like the other, never," he said. "Is anything we do in life, ever the same?"

It's hard to predict exactly what kind of damage and outages Hurricane Dorian may bring to the region.

"The first thing we need to do is go out and see what’s needed, figure out what the cause is...to make necessary repairs and get the proper people out there to do the job," Jones explained.

In North Carolina and Virginia, more than 7,000 Dominion Energy employees and contract crew members are ready to support the restoration effort.

He asked that people be patient with crews as they work to repair outages from the storm. The first priority is the safety of crews.

After the storm passes and it is safe to do so, our patrol teams will be out in force assessing damage and crews will begin working with local public safety and emergency officials to restore power to essential services and facilities critical to public health and safety, such as hospitals, fire and police departments, and public water systems. Crews will then work to return service to the largest number of residential and business customers in the shortest amount of time. Once major repairs are completed, smaller groups of customers and individual homes are restored.

Dominion Energy recommends the following for storm prep:

  • Set up an online account to easily report and track power outages from any mobile device.
  • Bookmark our website on your mobile device to quickly report outages:

  • Assemble or "refresh" your emergency prep kit to include:

    • Batteries and flashlights/lanterns
    • Bottled water (1 gallon per person, per day)
    • Cash (power outages could affect ATMs)
    • Non-perishable food
    • First-aid kit, medications and hygiene items
  • If you have a generator, be sure it is fueled, tested and properly connected. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and always operate out of doors with good ventilation.

If someone experiences an outage:

  • Always report your outage.
  • Turn off all appliances, except one light to prevent overload when the power comes back on.
  • Be careful to avoid downed power lines, which may be energized and deadly. Remember that downed wires can be hidden under fallen trees or branches or under flooded streets or yards. Stay at least 30 feet away and make sure your family, pets, and neighbors avoid downed wires. Please report downed power lines at the following numbers and stay on the line to speak with a customer service representative so we can help make the area safe:
    • North Carolina and Virginia customers can report downed lines at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357).
    • South Carolina customers can report downed lines at 1-888-333-4465.

More Hurricane Dorian News:

Before You Leave, Check This Out