Weathering the Storm

Violent storms are more frequent in a changing world, and it is essential to be prepared. For us, that means planning thoroughly before weather threatens, responding quickly when a storm hits, and restoring power as safely and quickly as possible in the event of an outage. Safety is our top priority and we encourage you to review these tips to prepare and stay safe when severe weather strikes.

Before a Storm

• Assemble an emergency storm kit that contains items you’ll need in the event of a prolonged power outage:
  • Flashlights and extra batteries
  • Battery-powered radio or TV
  • Land-line phone with cord (cordless phones require electricity)
  • Supply of bottled water (one gallon per person per day)
  • First-aid kit and prescription medications
  • Blankets, bedding or sleeping bags
  • Hand-operated can opener
  • Special medical or infant supplies
  • Variety of hand tools
  • List of emergency phone numbers
• Develop and practice an emergency plan with everyone in your household
• Make sure cell phones are charged and download the Pepco Self-Service app (pepco.com/mobileapp) for your mobile device so you can report outages, get estimated restoration times, access interactive outage maps, and call us through a direct dial link

During a Storm

• Locate your emergency storm kit
• Tune in to local news broadcasts
• Never go near downed wires and always stay clear of working crews
• Avoid wet and flooded areas as electricity and water are a dangerous combination

If Power Goes Out

• Report your outage through our mobile app, website, or by calling 1-877-737-2662
• Unplug or turn off TVs, appliances and most lamps, and leave one lamp switched on so you know when power is restored
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed
• Close shades or curtains to keep rooms cooler
• Be safe around candles and open flames
• If you are operating a generator, make sure that you follow all safety guidelines

Our Power Restoration Process
Our restoration process begins once the storm has passed and conditions are safe for our professionals. The video below shows the order that we approach systems to help ensure quick and safe restoration of power.

For more helpful tips, download and print our Storm Preparation Handbook.

Important Phone Numbers
Report Power Outages and Downed Wires: 1-877-737-2662
Customer Service: 202-833-7500
Servicio en Español: 202-872-4641
TTY for Hearing Impaired: 202-872-2369

We are prepared for possibility of continued snow, ice and gusty winds

We have mobilized more than 1,600 employees and contractors including field crews, call center representatives and support staff prepared to meet our customers’ needs during this winter storm. Although weather conditions have not been as severe as some forecasts, we are prepared to respond to outages, and customers should expect the possibility of outages through the night.

Our parent company, Pepco Holdings Inc., has received commitments for more than 400 mutual assistance personnel from as far away as Alabama, some of whom started arriving Tuesday to assist with the power restoration effort throughout our Mid-Atlantic service territory.

After a severe storm, we will restore power by targeting wires serving critical infrastructure, such as hospitals, fire stations, and police stations, as well as those serving the greatest number of customers. It is important that customers report their outage and request a call back to verify their power has been restored.

Customers are asked to please call in any outages and stay away from any down wires.​ To report outages and/or downed wires, please call 1-877-737-2662. For more information and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at PepcoConnect, and download our mobile app at www.pepco.com/mobileapp.

We are prepared for the worst of the predictions

We are continuing to monitor the changing weather forecasts and are prepared for the worst of the predictions.

Mutual assistance personnel from Alabama and Georgia began to arrive yesterday and additional personnel are arriving today to assist with restoration efforts. In addition to our internal crews, we have mobilized 400 mutual assistance personnel and they will be assigned as needed across PHI’s three service territories. We have about 450 overhead line contractors and about 300 tree contractors already working on our system who are prepared for storm restoration work. Our Call Centers are staffed and operational 24 hours a day through this event.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Washington Metropolitan Area through this evening. Weather forecasts predict snow accumulations from 5 to 10 inches through the Pepco region with wind gusts of up to 35 mph. A Winter Storm Warning means there is also a potential for significant sleet and/or ice. We are preparing for the possibility of widespread outages, and we ask our customers to prepare now as well.

Heavy, wet snow, ice, and high winds can bring tree limbs into contact with power lines to cause power outages. Heavy rain and oversaturated soil can allow trees already weakened by previous storms to fall onto power lines and equipment to cause power outages. Outages can also occur due to drivers skidding into utility poles along wet roads.

Customers are asked to please report any outages and stay away from any down wires. To report outages and/or downed wires, please call 1-877-737-2662, follow the prompts, and please ask for a call back to confirm that power has been restored. Call Centers are staffed and operational 24 hours a day through this event. Outages also may be reported on our website or through our mobile app.

For more information and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter at PepcoConnect.

Preparing for winter storms

Winter storms can bring high winds, snow, sleet, ice and even a combination of precipitation. Heavy snow and ice can cause outages by bringing trees and branches down on power lines, while ice and sleet create slick road conditions that can cause vehicle accidents that damage poles and other electrical equipment.

We closely monitor the weather and mobilize work crews before a storm hits to ensure that we respond as quickly and safely as possible should storm damage occur. Safety is our top priority, and we encourage you to review these tips and precautions to prepare for the worst of winter weather.

Before a Storm Strikes

• Develop and practice an emergency plan with everyone in your household.
• Assemble an emergency storm kit containing bottled water, non-perishable foods, blankets, flashlights and fresh batteries, first-aid kit and prescription medications, special medical or infant supplies, tools and other essential items.
• Purchase a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector for your home if you plan to use an alternative source of heat.
• Fill your bathtub with water if your water supply depends on electricity.
• Make sure cell phones are charged.
•  Protect and unplug electronic equipment.
• Ensure your contact information is up to date with Pepco (have your account number available, call 202-835-1007 and say “update phone number”).
•  Download the Pepco Self-Service app  on your mobile device so you can access outage maps, get restoration estimates, report outages and call us through a direct dial link should the power go out.

If Power Goes Out

• If possible, gather in a central room that has an alternative source of heat such as a fireplace or wood stove.
• Keep freezer and refrigerator doors shut.
•  Open window shades to let the sun warm rooms during the day; close the shades at night to keep warmth in.
• Dress in loose layers for warmth and flexibility.
• If the indoor temperature drops to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or below, open your faucets slightly so they constantly drip to prevent pipes from freezing.
• When conditions are safe, check on elderly or home-bound neighbors.

Heating Without Power

• If using a portable generator during a power outage, always operate it outside, away from doors and windows to prevent deadly carbon monoxide fumes from entering the home.
• Don’t use a gas range for heating a room or use charcoal to heat or cook indoors.
• Keep children and pets away from any open flames.
•  Use a carbon monoxide detector to keep you and your family safe. Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless.

Snow Safety

When snow piles up, it’s important to keep areas outside your home clear.

• Clear snow from access areas to your home and make sure to clear snow accumulation from appliance vents and heat pumps outside your home to ensure they can operate safely.
• Remember to take breaks while clearing snow and avoid over exerting yourself.

Please remember to report outages and downed wires by calling 1-877-737-2662, using the mobile app or by visiting Pepco.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get tips on preparing for emergencies and updates on our restoration efforts.

Restoring Power after Hurricane Sandy

We are closely monitoring forecasts for Hurricane Sandy which predict that the damage from the storm could be unprecedented affecting the entire Northeast.

We have activated all field restoration personnel and have all employee hands on deck to support the effort. We have nearly 600 internal and contract line personnel and 300 tree removal personnel ready for quick mobilization, and our parent company, Pepco Holdings Inc., has requested a total of 3,700 outside crew members through the utility mutual assistance process.  At this time, PHI has received commitments for more than 1,800 crew members from states as far away as Texas and Mississippi, many of whom began to arrive over the weekend. In addition, more than 300 customer call representatives are available to answers calls, about 165 assessors are ready to identify storm damage, and around 635 support personnel are working on their storm response roles.

We are preparing for widespread and multi-day outages, and restoring customers quickly and safely is our top priority. As wait for the storm to subside, I would like to share information with you about our restoration process and how our restoration priorities are set.

Because this storm is anticipated to stay in our area for several days, it may not be safe enough for crews to work until after the worst of the storm has passed.  Our safety guidelines do not allow overhead work to be performed in sustained winds of 35 mph or more, so initiation of our damage assessment and restoration process will depend on when the winds subside.

When it is safe for crews to go into the field, we begin a full damage assessment. While damage assessment is conducted, crews are responding to reports of downed wires. However, while the crews work to make downed wires safe, this does not mean power is necessarily restored – especially if there is additional damage to the electric system.

In addition to downed wires, our top priority is to restore critical facilities such as hospitals and public health and safety facilities that have lost power. We then work “downstream,” beginning with repairs to the backbone of the electric system and then working our way into residential and commercial areas.

This process first considers public health and safety, and gets power to the greatest number of customers as quickly as possible. Chances are that you may never see the utility crew that restores power to your home. The nature of the electric grid means that power is supplied to your home as part of a large, intricate network, so the cause of your outage may be located miles from your home. Just because you don’t see a crew in your area doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. We are working around the clock to restore all customers as quickly and safely as possible; we’re all in this together.

Please report outages and downed wires by calling 1-877-737-2662, using the mobile app or by visiting Pepco.com. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get tips on preparing for emergencies and updates on our restoration efforts.

Thank you to our customers

On June 29, the violent, fast-moving derecho storm tore through states from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic, leaving in its wake a 700-mile trail of death and destruction, including 34 fatalities, and significantly impacted more than four million customers. At its peak, the storm left more than 450,000 Pepco customers without power, and a state of emergency was declared in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Ohio.

We understand the hardship and inconvenience of living without electricity, as caused by the storm, and I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank you for your patience and understanding as more than 3,000 personnel including Pepco forces, and mutual assistance crews worked to restore power. The storm caused significant damage to our critical infrastructure, which needed to be rebuilt prior to restoring power to customers. The restoration effort involved replacing almost 300 utility poles and almost 200 transformers – a significant amount more than what was replaced after Hurricane Irene in 2011. After rebuilding infrastructure, crews focused on restoring power to critical health and safety facilities, and then on restoring homes and businesses.

Yet, even with all of the destruction, Pepco restored power to 90% of customers by midnight on July 4, more than 48 hours before our original estimate. We reached 100% restoration just before dawn on Sunday, July 8. According to the Federal Emergency Management Association, more than 100,000 customers were still without power at that time in other parts of Maryland and nearby states.

In September 2010, Pepco committed $910 million over five years to improving our reliability. In the almost two years since we began that work, we’ve trimmed over 4,000 miles of trees, enhanced 144 power lines and replaced more than 500 miles of underground cable. Customers served by upgraded power lines experienced a 39% reduction in the average number of power outages of normal day-to-day service during 2011 as compared to 2010, and when outages did occur, they were shorter in duration, declining on average by 56% compared to 2010. Today, we are strong and more reliable – but no amount of strengthening to our system could have withstood a storm of this magnitude.

Again, we sincerely thank you for your patience. I would also like to thank customers who took time to show their gratitude – shaking crew members’ hands, and leaving them notes, water and Popsicles, and even sending emails or handwritten thank you notes to the company. We will continue to enhance our reliability, work hard to restore power when storms come again, and keep our customers informed of our progress every step of the way.

Tom Graham
President, Pepco Region

How We Restore Power

Following the violent storm that hit our region last Friday night, crews continue to work around the clock on restoring power to the remaining 1 percent of customers who lost service. We’ve had some questions on how we have been restoring power, so I put together a short video that I think will help you better understand the process we use to quickly and safely return power to customers.

Myra Oppel
Regional Director of Communications

We’ve Been Working to Improve Reliability. Here is What We’ve Done!

It has officially been a year since Pepco began executing a plan to improve reliability.  Since September 2010, we have been carrying out aggressive and comprehensive work to upgrade our system and ensure that you have the reliable service you expect.  We have hundreds of crews working in your neighborhoods.  Their work includes

• Upgrading priority overhead lines that serve the largest number of customers.
• Accelerating tree-trimming efforts to remove limbs that threaten power lines.
• Preparing for system growth by proactively upgrading and installing power lines and equipment.
• Moving select power lines underground where overhead system improvements will not suffice.
• Improving additional power lines that have been negatively impacted by trees, vegetation, weather and animal-related issues.
• Installing advanced technologies to isolate power problems and automatically restore service to the most affected customers within minutes.

To keep this post short and to the point, I’m going to briefly focus on two areas of our work plan that already have delivered significant reliability benefits: tree trimming and installing advanced technology.

Since last September, we have trimmed trees along 302 miles of right-of-way in the District and 2,299 miles in Maryland.  Many storm-related outages are a direct result of trees falling on power lines, and this trimming helps minimize the threat of limbs and branches falling on our overhead electric wires. Additionally, we are working with counties, communities and homeowners to remove potentially hazardous trees that may come down outside of the company’s right-of-ways and damage equipment.

Also since last September, we installed advanced control systems on five power lines in the District and 26 power lines in Maryland.  The advanced control systems make it possible to pinpoint and isolate failed equipment, and automatically reroute power to restore most of the affected customers within minutes of the failure.  We have also installed 161,800 smart meters in the District and 21,347 in Maryland.  When activated, your smart meter will alert us that your home or business is without power helping to speed restoration. This capability is particularly helpful when you are away from home.

These two areas of our work plan are integral parts of Pepco’s five-year reliability plan that will ultimately reduce the frequency and duration of outages.  In the event that an outage does occur, this work will help ensure that service is restored quickly.

I will dive into the progress and benefits of the remaining parts of our work plan in future posts.