Contact: NOVEC Public Relations, 1-888-335-0500, communications@novec.com
MANASSAS, Va. — Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative crews and contractors are working as safely and quickly as possible to restore service to customers who lost power during Winter Storm Frida on Monday, Jan. 3.
As of 9:45 a.m., on Jan. 4, approximately 6,000 NOVEC customers were without power. NOVEC crews have restored over 11,000 customers since the powerful winter storm rolled through Northern Virginia and caused severe damage to trees and power lines in the area. Crews worked throughout Monday night and will continue working until all affected customers have power service restored.
“Heavy snow and thick ice from the winter storm weighed down power lines, knocked down trees and tree limbs, and damaged a number of utility poles on our system,” explains Dan Swingle, NOVEC vice president of system operations. “Workers will continue to locate and remove trees on lines, and restore service throughout the multi-day restoration process.”
Customers can see NOVEC’s outage map by going to www.novec.com/outagecenter. Customers can also follow NOVEC on social media for updates, but should not report an outage there to avoid publicly posting private information, such as street addresses.
Swingle warns customers to never go anywhere near a downed power line. “If you see a line that’s down, assume it’s energized and deadly. Keep others far away and report it to us immediately at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500, and call 911.”
What to do if a power outage occurs
- Call NOVEC at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500, or text the keyword #OUT to 85700 and text STATUS to receive updates on a reported outage, or report an outage at www.novec.com. Have your account number ready.
- Warning: Stay away from downed power lines and poles and the area around them. Be aware that even storm debris hiding a live downed power line can shock or electrocute anyone who comes in contact with it. Notify NOVEC immediately about down lines at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
- Use flashlights, lanterns, or battery-powered candles instead of real candles. If you use real candles, keep them away from children and flammable household furnishings.
- Open freezers and refrigerators only when necessary. Put needed perishable food in coolers with ice or ice packs.
- Warning: Only use a portable generator, camp stove, or charcoal grill outdoors to prevent creating deadly carbon monoxide fumes indoors. Hire a professional to install a whole-house generator because an incorrectly installed generator could back-feed electricity onto the grid and seriously harm line techs who are trying to restore service.
- After power is restored, please wait five to ten minutes before turning on major appliances and heating systems.
- Learn more about storm preparation and outages at www.novec.com/outageinfo.
