Warnings to prepare now for traffic, power, heating and food concerns
~ PVN staff report
LURAY, Jan. 23 — More than 230 million people in the U.S. are under severe weather alerts as this weekend’s winter storm is foecast to leave a foot or more of snow over most of its projected 1,500-mile path from Texas to the Northeast. At least 10 states, including Virginia, have declared a state of emergency, with more than 1,300 flights canceled. Widespread power outages are expected across multiple regions.
The National Weather Service has issued forecasts for the Page Valley that range from a low-end snowfall of six inches, up to a high-end projection of 15 inches. The “expected” forecast calls for a foot of snow in the area. Ice projections are for less than one-tenth of an inch. The winter precipitation is expected to begin Saturday evening and potentially continue into early Monday morning.
“At least a foot of snow is expected to fall on the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands Saturday afternoon through early Monday,” according to VDOT press release issued Thursday. “Stay off the roads during this time period — instead, get to your destination before the storm. Plowing operations focus on interstates and primary routes first, and may not reach all secondary roads and subdivisions for several days.”
The Virginia Department of Transportation pre-treated major roadways [Thursday] and Friday throughout the 11-county Staunton District. When snowfall begins on Saturday, VDOT crews and contractors will use more than 1,100 pieces of equipment to plow and treat state-maintained roadways in the district. They will work around the clock on rotating 12-hour shifts.
“The weekend storm is expected to bring heavy snow, hampering visibility and requiring plows to make multiple passes on interstates and primary roads until snowfall tapers off,” the VDOT press release states. “Additional hazards include extreme cold during and after the storm, which minimizes melting and extends recovery time. Motorists may not see bare pavement for many days after the storm begins.”
For emergency travel information visit the 511 Virginia website, or download the mobile app or call 511. Motorists are reminded to check their entire route as conditions will vary throughout Virginia. Southern portions of the Commonwealth are expected to receive less snow but more ice accumulation.
The VDOT website has winter weather travel tips, news releases, and links to social media accounts for VDOT districts throughout the Commonwealth.
Page County Public Schools issued a warning on Friday to keep communication lines clear for anticipated closures on Monday and potentially beyond. Some local events have already been postponed, like the Chamber of Commerce Breakfast with Local Elected Officials planned for Tuesday will not be held Feb. 10.
Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative will have crews and contractors on hand, ready to respond to issues in every service district.
“The cooperative remains in contact with weather-monitoring services for the latest projections and type of precipitation to be expected. In winter weather events, it’s normally the type of precipitation (wet snow or significant icing that sticks to trees and power lines, versus drier snow that does not) that can be more problematic for the electric distribution system than the accumulation,” an SVEC statement reads. “As of Friday morning, forecasts appear to favor a drier snow for SVEC’s territory, as well as the potential for a less severe icing event compared to other parts of Virginia.”
In the case of outages, a consideration with the extended forecast is “cold load” pickup, when heating systems and appliances kick on simultaneously after being off. Outage restoration time could be prolonged as SVEC crews and system operators must take a methodical approach under these conditions. Members can assist by turning off or unplugging their electric appliances during the outage so they don’t all restart immediately as power is restored.
For any weather event, SVEC reminds members of the following:
Safety:
- Do not make any attempts to clear trees or other debris from power lines. Note the location, and any other important information regarding these situations, and please contact SVEC immediately at 1-800-234-7832. Please avoid contact with downed power lines.
- If you have a generator, please follow safety protocols. Use a proper disconnect. A generator that remains connected to power lines can backfeed power into them, putting SVEC workers in harm’s way.
How to Report Outages:
- Online: Outage Center at www.svec.coop/outage
- Mobile: On the MySVEC app
- By Phone: 1-800-234-7832
SVEC members should not report outages over SVEC’s social media. SVEC’s operations must receive an official outage notification through one of the three methods listed above. It’s important for every member to submit an outage report. This assists system operators in pinpointing an issue. Additionally, “blinking” of lights may occur, which is a normal condition during a weather event such as this. Co-op members do not need to report blinking lights in these circumstances.
Preparing for Outages at Home:
- Download SVEC’s app, MySVEC, to report your outage and manage your account;
- Fully charge devices leading up to precipitation;
- Prepare a home outage kit, to include flashlights, extra batteries, blankets, canned or packaged foods and a first-aid kit;
- Make arrangements for alternative housing, if necessary, especially if you are on life-sustaining equipment that requires electricity; and
- If outages occur, turn off major appliances that were in use at that time, which helps eliminate potential damage from surges once electricity is restored. Keep a light switch on so you can tell when power is restored.
Restoration Process:
Crews will work as safely and quickly as possible to restore service. The cooperative prioritizes restoration by first working scenes that will bring the most people back on. While members can often find an estimated time for restoration on SVEC’s outage map, this information may not be available during a large-scale outage situation. Please keep in mind unsafe road conditions may increase SVEC’s response time to outages.
For the latest information in large outage situations, SVEC will regularly update its website and Facebook page.
Chartered in 1936, SVEC maintains over 8,000 miles of electric lines and serves over 103,000 meters in the counties of Augusta, Clarke, Frederick, Highland (all), Page (all), Rockingham, Shenandoah and Warren in Virginia, and the city of Winchester (all). SVEC was the first electric cooperative chartered in Virginia.
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