SALISBURY, Md. - Delmarva Power is monitoring an approaching winter storm system that has the potential to impact the company's service area. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory from 10 p.m. tonight until midnight tomorrow.

Current models predict between 1 to 3 inches of snow and any amount of accumulated snow has the possibility of impacting service in the Delaware and Maryland.  In addition to internal crews available 24 hours a day, Delmarva Power has a few hundred overhead line contractors and tree crews on standby to assist in any restoration effort.

Delmarva Power will work around the clock to restore any power outages that may occur, but customers should be prepared for the possibility of service interruptions.

Snow, sleet and ice can weigh down tree limbs and bring them into contact with power lines causing service interruptions. Such conditions can adversely affect saturated soil and cause trees already weakened by previous storms to fall onto power lines and equipment, leading to power outages. Outages can also occur due to drivers skidding into utility poles along icy and snow-covered roads.

Delmarva Power is in contact with local emergency management officials.

Customers are asked to please call in any outages and stay away from any downed wires. To report outages and downed wires, call 1-800-898-8042 (New Castle, Cecil and Harford counties) or 1-800-898-8045 (Kent and Sussex counties and Eastern Shore of Maryland). Follow the prompts and ask for a call back to confirm that power has been restored. Outages also may be reported through www.delmarva.com or our mobile app, available for download at www.delmarva.com/mobileapp. For natural gas emergencies in New Castle County, call 1-302-454-0317.   

Storm preparedness tips for Delmarva Power customers:

• Assemble an emergency storm kit. Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of nonperishable foods and bottled water and have a hand-operated can opener available.
• Have adequate prescription medicines or infant supplies on hand.
• Make sure you have a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate and won't work if there is an outage.
• Identify a safe alternate location in case of an extended outage.
• Tune to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
• Follow the advice of local emergency management officials.

General Safety Tips:

• Protect electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors and consider an uninterruptible power supply for temporary battery backup power.
• If a portable generator is needed, follow the manufacturer's instructions and use only when necessary. Don't overload it and turn it off at night while asleep and when away from home.
• Turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if it is safe to do so. However, if using an electrically operated sump pump, the customer should not turn off the power.
• Follow local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.

For more information about Delmarva Power, visit www.delmarva.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/delmarvapower and Twitter at www.twitter.com/delmarvaconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.delmarva.com/mobileapp.