NORFOLK, Va. — Another winter storm is hitting Virginia on Sunday and Dominion Energy officials say they're keeping a close eye on conditions.
This time, Hampton Roads will see steady rainfall and gusty winds.
Bonita Billingsley Harris of Dominion Energy said that could spell trouble for overhead power lines.
“Rain and strong gusty winds have the potential to cause a lot of damage to our equipment, and also power outages,” Harris said. "2022 started with a bang; we’re dealing with back-to-back storms. But our crews have made sure their trucks are replenished, gassed up, ready to go, so that we just roll with the punches and whatever mother nature brings us.”
Harris said her team is taking the storm seriously. She said crews and contractors are on standby, assigned to areas, they anticipate will be impacted most by the storm.
Dominion Energy has also requested assistance from partner utility companies in other states, if it’s needed.
Harris said she’s confident they have the resources and manpower in place to respond to any outages.
“They are definitely prepared to go to work preparing power as soon as it’s safe to do so," Harris said. “We know power outages combined with the pandemic and cold temperatures is like a triple threat."
Harris said it’s a good idea to keep your cell phone and other devices charged while you have electricity, in case the weather affects electrical service.
If you see a downed power line in your area, assume it's energized and keep away from it and call Dominion Energy at 1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357). You can report outages on the same numbers.
Or you can report outages, and check the status of an outage online at dominionenergy.com.