The latest winter storm has many Virginians still without power. Appalachian Power has stated that over 7,000 employees, contractors, and mutual aid crews are working to restore power. As of 4 p.m. on Saturday, over 20,000 customers are still without power.
Previously, AEP estimated that many should have their power restored by Feb. 14, however, that date has been extended to Feb. 16.
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Our current Weather Authority Alert Day is currently in effect due to possible flooding our area may encounter following the winter storm, which AEP has also said is impacting power restoration, and may even cause more outages.
If you are in a more densely populated area without power, AEP has said you can expect to get your power back in the shortest amount of time. Appalachian Power will then move to restore power in areas that have smaller pockets of customers.
AEP has listed the following suggestions for those without power:
- Stay away from sparking equipment, downed lines, or anything they may touch. This goes for children and pets, too. Report electrical hazards to Appalachian Power and 911 immediately.
- Never remove debris that’s within 10 feet of a downed power line.
- Unplug major appliances to protect them when power comes back on.
- Leave a light switch turned on so you know when power is restored.
- Refuel heaters, lamps, and generators outside, and away from any flames or sparks.
- If using a generator, ensure proper ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Never operate lanterns, heaters, or fuel-fired stoves without proper ventilation.
- Never burn charcoal indoors. It releases poisonous carbon monoxide.
If you’re looking for specific information about your area and your AEP account, AEP has suggested you visit here. For up-to-date tracking on outages, visit the Appalachian Power Outage Map here.
