Co-op preparing for effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia

A&N Electric Cooperative is preparing for the effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is currently under a Tropical Storm Warning.

Ophelia is expected to bring severe weather into the local area with high winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding. The local area is projected to see major effects from the storm as early as Friday. Current forecasts call for wind gusts between 40-60 miles per hour for Friday night into Saturday with heavy rain and moderate to major coastal flooding.

“We have continued to monitoring the storm as it approaches our area and we will be prepared to respond to any associated outages,” said Joe Cataldo, the Cooperative’s Vice President of Operations and Construction.

With heavy rain and wind gusts the cooperative is anticipating power outages associated with fallen limbs and trees.

“Now is the time to prepare you and your home for the possibility of extended outages through the duration of the storm,” Cataldo said.

SERIOUS MEDICAL NEEDS

Families who have special medical needs or elderly members should make plans for alternate arrangements in the event of prolonged outages.

USING A GENERATOR

For co-op members who use a generator, never run it inside your home or garage. Some produce carbon monoxide fumes, which can be deadly. Make sure your generator is installed properly so it does not backfeed into the cooperative’s distribution system. This can be extremely dangerous for linemen making repairs.

DOWNED POWER LINES

Co-op members are urged to maintain a safe distance from any downed lines and to report the issue to the cooperative or 911 immediately. Vehicles should not attempt to drive over fallen power lines across roadways. Instead, maintain a safe distance, report the issue and wait for a qualified electric line crew to remove the hazard.

REPORTING OUTAGES

Co-op members can report an outage by using the cooperative’s SmartHub app or by calling 757-787-9750. Live outage information can be found on our website www.anec.com. Our outage map is also available on mobile devices. While the cooperative will post regular outage updates to social media, please do not report outages through social media. Instead, we urge our members to report outages by phone or through the app to the cooperative can better track and respond to those outages.