Electric News Releases - 1999

October 17, 1999

Virginia Power Prepares For Hurricane Irene

RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Power line crews and other emergency response employees are ready to respond to Hurricane Irene, which is projected to bring high winds, rain and flooding into parts of Virginia and North Carolina that are still recovering from Hurricane Floyd.

Based on Hurricane Irene's current projected track, power outages are expected to occur primarily in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, where Virginia Power operates as North Carolina Power and serves about 100,000 customers. Customers in the affected areas should prepare for multi-day outages as wind and rain are expected to bring down trees and power lines.

"While Hurricane Irene is not Hurricane Floyd, our customers in those areas still need to be prepared for damage associated with high winds and flooding conditions," said John Smatlak, manager of the Corporate Storm Center. "If you have health problems or are dependent on home medical equipment, you should make arrangements in advance for shelter someplace other than your home."

Virginia Power inventoried storm supplies before the weekend began. The company also told line crews in Richmond and northern Virginia to prepare to move as soon as safe travel is possible if they area needed to assist crews based in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Virginia Power has standing commitments from contractors to supply crews and equipment. The company will not lend assistance to other utilities until all customers have had their electrical service restored.

Virginia Power encourages its customers to call toll free 1-888-667-3000 to report outages or downed lines. The company's outage reporting system, which consists of operators as well as a computer-powered voice response unit, can handle 100,000 calls an hour.

Virginia Power urges its customers to pay attention to weather reports and, if Hurricane Irene nears, take common-sense steps to prepare for possible outages:

• Have a good supply of fresh batteries for flashlights, clocks and radios.
• Have several gallons of freshwater on hand. This is especially important for those who rely on well water.
• Have a good supply of canned and other non-refrigerated foods available.
• Make sure prescription medications are filled.
• If the power goes out, turn off major appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters and stoves. Unplug other appliances such as TV's, stereos, microwaves, and computers. This will prevent damage to the appliance and possible overloads to the company's system when power is restored.
• Disconnect cable lines from TVs and stereos and phone lines from computers. This will prevent lightning damage to these expensive items.
• Leave one lamp or light on so you can tell when power is restored.
• Open refrigerators and freezers as little as possible to keep contents cold.
• If using portable or camp-type stoves or lanterns for cooking and lighting, make sure the area is adequately ventilated.
• Do not hook portable generators directly to the electrical system of your home. Electricity could backfeed into power lines endangering repair crews. Either have a qualified electrician perform that work or plug directly into the generator with the proper-sized extension cords.

Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion Resources Inc. (NYSE: D), an energy company with headquarters in Richmond.

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