September is National Preparedness Month, a time to highlight how storm readiness helps to keep customers, their families and the community safe. 

For Delmarva Power crews, storm preparedness is a year-round effort. Crews work around the clock to upgrade technology and aging infrastructure to strengthen the grid and help keep customers’ power on, no matter what Mother Nature brings.  

Between modernizing equipment, ongoing maintenance and inspections, and investing in innovation, the team’s efforts reduced the frequency and duration of outages across Delaware and Maryland. In 2024, Delmarva Power crews averaged a safe restoration of service within 63 minutes systemwide when outages did occur. Customers have also experienced a 46 percent decrease in outages over the past 10 years. And this summer, approximately 167,000 customer outages were prevented with reclosers, which are smart devices that can automatically restore service more quickly or isolate damage across the system. 

It’s evident these efforts are making a difference and will continue to do so as we head into peak hurricane season. Teams across the company have completed significant reliability projects that make our energy system more resilient to storms, including the Vienna to West Cambridge Reliability Project, which upgraded 20 miles of transmission with stronger steel poles and smart technology. 

Just like Delmarva Power works year-round to prepare for storms, we encourage our customers to do the same. We know weather can be unpredictable, but these tips will help you power through any sour forecast: 

• Compile an emergency kit: Stock up on must-haves ahead of storm season and gather items you already have around the house to make the ultimate emergency kit. We suggest including a flashlight, battery-powered radio and clock, first-aid kit, blankets, extra batteries, medications, a list of important phone numbers, water bottles and non-perishable food items to last you at least 72 hours. Make sure you keep this some place with easy access. 

• Stay up to date: Want to be in the know? Download Delmarva Power’s mobile app, at delmarva.com/MobileApp. The app houses resources to stay informed during a storm like our interactive outage map and power restoration estimates. You can also sign up for “push alerts” to get real-time updates by going to “My Alerts and Notifications” at delmarva.com/MyAccount.  

• Report outages: Stay away from downed wires, as they may still be energized. To report any power outages, downed wires or other service issues immediately, customers can call 800-898-8042, text “OUT” to 67972 (you must first text “ADD OUTAGE” to sign up for this service) or visit our website. 

For more information on how we’re preparing this storm season, and what you can do to stay safe, check out delmarva.com/StormPrep.