ROANOKE – Strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall could mean power outages in the region. Appalachian Power is expecting the greatest likely-hood for power outages to happen on Sunday in their service area, especially in higher elevations.
Company officials said they have a solid response plan in place with employees and contractors on standby. The company has already booked rooms for Appalachian Power workers and contractors from Ohio, Indiana and Michigan who are prepared to travel if needed.
Appalachian Power spokesperson Teresa Hamilton Hall said flooding and high winds are the most concerning aspects of this storm because those conditions could prevent crews from being able to respond. Crews cannot safely make repairs while trees and limbs are still falling or work from buckets or polices in winds greater than 40 miles per hour.
Appalachian Power continues to monitor the potential impacts of the storm on its six hydroelectric dams on the New and Roanoke rivers in Virginia. Hydro operations staff is adjusting reservoir levels to make way for heavy rains in the watersheds. Lakeside property owners are urged to secure docks and shorelines in the event of localized flooding.
Important links:
- Customers can get specific information about the outages affecting their accounts via text message and/or email by subscribing to Appalachian Power outage alerts. To sign up visit www.appalachianpower.com/alerts.
- Appalachian Power hydro plant water levels and flows can be monitored here.
- To report an outage, check outage status, manage your accounts, enroll in paperless billing and download the Appalachian Power mobile app.
- A snapshot view of current outages is available anytime at www.appalachianpower.com. Go to the Outages and Problems section of the site and click "View Outage Map."
Safety tips:
If there is a chance of flash flooding, Appalachian Power recommends moving immediately to higher ground. Flash floods are the No.1 cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock you down, and 2 feet of water can sweep your vehicle away.
Additional safety tips are posted on Appalchain Power's website.