As part of its preparation efforts, Delmarva Power invests hundreds of millions of dollars each year modernizing the local energy grid and hardening its system against severe weather. This work includes inspecting existing infrastructure, replacing aging infrastructure, trimming trees that could potentially impact the system, building new underground equipment, and installing smart technology that can automatically restore service more quickly or isolate damage. These efforts have resulted in the most reliable service in the company’s history in recent years.

“The safety of our customers and communities is our top priority,” said Gary Stockbridge, Delmarva Power region president. “We regularly prepare and conduct drills for severe weather and coordinate closely with government and community partners to ensure we are ready to respond safely and quickly when our customers need us. National Preparedness Month is a great reminder for all of us that being prepared is a responsibility everyone should take seriously.”

To help customers plan and prepare for an emergency, Delmarva Power offers the following tips:

• Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.

• Identify an alternate location for you and/or your family in case of an extended outage.

• Review the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation of your generator. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring. Never use a generator indoors or any enclosed area. 

• Follow the advice of local emergency management officials.

• Stay away from any storm damaged electrical equipment, especially downed lines. You should always assume downed lines are energized. Report a downed wire immediately by calling 1-800-898-8042. 

 

If severe storms hit, Delmarva Power has many online resources to keep customers informed. The company’s interactive outage map and its mobile app provide customers information about outages across the company’s system and give an estimate of how quickly power is expected to be restored.  

As part of the Exelon family of companies, Delmarva Power also participates in collaborative emergency response training exercises with its sister companies—Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, PECO and Pepco—and shares best practices to ensure it can provide seamless support and resources to another Exelon company during a storm or emergency restoration effort. 

Launched in 2004, National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During the month, FEMA and DHS encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in all facets of their lives. 

To learn more about Delmarva Power, visit The Source, Delmarva Power’s online news room. Find additional information by visiting www.delmarva.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/delmarvapower and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/delmarvaconnect. Delmarva Power’s mobile app is available at www.delmarva.com/mobileapp.

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About Delmarva Power: Delmarva Power, a public utility owned by Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), provides safe and reliable energy to more than 520,000 electric delivery customers in Delaware and Maryland and approximately 132,000 natural gas delivery customers in northern Delaware.