Electric companies prepare for Hurricane Florence

Electric companies in the path of Hurricane Florence, the Category 2 storm expected to make landfall along the Southeast coast this week, are taking steps to prepare for the storm.

“Hurricane Florence is an extremely dangerous and historic storm that may cause widespread and prolonged power outages,” Edison Electric Institute (EEI) President Tom Kuhn said. “Strong winds, heavy rain, and storm surge have the potential to cause extreme damage and dangerous flooding. Electric companies in Florence’s potential path have activated their emergency response plans, and are mobilizing restoration workers, staging equipment, and coordinating preparation and response efforts with federal, state, and local government officials.”

Companies are pre-positioning workers and equipment, and mutual assistance workers are on their way to the areas expected to be affected. Electric companies are also urging their customers to prepare for the storm and to evacuate if ordered to do so.

SCE&G noted that it has additional storm responders ready to be deployed.

“Nearly 2,900 personnel, including linemen and damage assessors, are ready to respond quickly to power outages should they occur,” Bill Turner, SCE&G vice president of Operations, said. “Having the additional resources on standby and ready to go is essential to restoring power to our customers. We’re going to work as safely and as quickly as possible.”

Duke Energy said it expects that total power restoration from the storm could take several days to weeks, depending on the extent of damage and the post-storm conditions. The company announced today that it would provide $145,000 in grants to the American Red Cross to support disaster response efforts, including Red Cross shelters, volunteer training and mobilization of volunteers.

The CEO-led Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council (ESCC) is working to coordinate efforts among industry and government leaders. CEOs participated in a call last night with senior officials from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to discuss ongoing mutual assistance preparation and staging activities.