Appalachian Power issued a storm preparedness update on Friday afternoon.
The power company said it is monitoring the path of Hurricane Ian, and preparing accordingly. Remnants from the storm could impact parts of the company’s service area starting this afternoon and into the weekend.
Storm Preparation Efforts
Employees and contractors are on alert and prepared to respond should damage from heavy rain, flash flooding and gusty winds occur. The company is particularly concerned about the impact extended rain and gusty winds could have in the higher elevations of Virginia and West Virginia. Extended rain, soggy soil, and gusty winds increase the chance of trees toppling onto power lines.
The company’s priority is ensuring the safety and reliability of service for Appalachian Power customers. Once outages are cleared, the company will decide if crews will head to assist with restoration in other states.
Hydro Generation
In anticipation of expected heavy rain and potential flooding, Appalachian Power is working to create extra storage in the reservoirs of its Virginia hydroelectric facilities.
- The Claytor Hydroelectric Project in Radford is being lowered to an elevation of 1841 feet, approximately 5 feet below the normal operating range.
- The Smith Mountain and Leesville reservoirs at the Smith Mountain Hydroelectric Project in Sandy Level are also being lowered.
At this time, lake residents and recreational users at both facilities are advised to remove and/or secure items within the Project boundaries. Appalachian Power will continue to monitor the weather forecast and make adjustments as necessary.
Current water levels are available at https://www.aep.com/Recreation/Hydro.
Appalachian Power said storms that produce heavy wind and rain cause damage that could down power lines.
Customers should treat all downed lines as live power lines and stay away from them.
They should also:
- Keep children and pets away from fallen lines and anything the lines may touch.
- Never remove debris that's within 10 feet of a power line.
Additional safety tips are posted at https://www.appalachianpower.com/safety/.
Visit Appalachian Power's websiteto report an outage online anytime.
For information on a specific outage, check Appalachian Power’s Outage Map.
Appalachian Power said further updates will be issued should widespread outages occur.
They also told ABC13 there would be no one available on Friday for an interview.