Despite extreme weather subsiding, Dominion Energy stays prepared

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — While the extreme weather alert is gone, Dominion Energy says they always stay ready when potential threats arise.

Much of Virginia was braced for severe weather on Monday, March 16, including severe thunderstorms, high-speed winds and even tornadoes. However, our StormTracker8 team says that weather system has lost a significant amount of steam due to temperatures not rising as much as expected.

Even so, Dominion Energy spokesperson Craig Carper said its crews remain prepared to respond. He said some of the biggest things they’re keeping an eye on are high winds.

“When we're looking at ice or, you know, snowfall, those can sometimes feel a little more definitive,” Carper said. “The wind can be tricky to predict when we're talking about, you know, its impact on, on power lines.”

In terms of power outages, Carper said the severity of a storm could affect tens of thousands of customers -- or just a handful. The energy company currently has hundreds of crews on standby in case restoration efforts are needed.

“If there's an active tornado, watch, they're going to wait until the event passes before restoration can begin,” Carper said. “It may be two or three hours before a truck could get dispatched because we want our crews to be safe.”

Carper recommends you stay at home during any weather event. Make sure you have essentials like water, non-perishable foods, lights and charge all electronic devices.

If there is a power line down in your area, you can report it using the dominion app.