As communities continue recovering from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, and with several named storms already impacting the East Coast, we’re observing September as National Preparedness Month to remind customers of the importance of being prepared for severe weather and other emergencies.

As part of our preparation efforts, we invest hundreds of millions of dollars each year modernizing the local energy grid and hardening our system against severe weather. This work includes inspecting existing infrastructure, replacing aging infrastructure, trimming trees that could potentially impact the system, building new underground equipment and installing smart technology that can automatically restore service more quickly or isolate damage. These efforts have resulted in the most reliable service in the company’s history in 2020.

Just like our company prepares, we encourage our customers to also be ready for severe weather. Here’s how you can prepare so you’ll be safe and connected if severe weather strikes.

• Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.
• Identify an alternate location for you and/or your family in case of an extended outage.
• Review the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation of your generator. Do not connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring. Never use a generator indoors or any enclosed area.
• Follow the advice of local emergency management officials.
• Stay away from any storm damaged electrical equipment, especially downed lines. You should always assume downed lines are energized. Report a downed wire immediately by calling 1-877-PEPCO-62.

If severe storms hit, we offer many online resources to keep customers informed. Our interactive outage map and mobile app provide customers information about outages and give an estimate of how quickly power is expected to be restored.

To report an outage or downed wire, call 1-877-PEPCO-62 (877-737-2662) or report and track through our mobile app or our website at pepco.com/storm. You can also report an outage by texting “Out” to 48710. You must first text “ADD OUTAGE” to 48710 to sign up for this service. Customers can also sign up for proactive notification from the company, via text, email or phone regarding storm preparedness, outages and more.

For additional tips on what to do before, during and after a storm, view our Weathering the Storm fact sheets, available in English and Spanish.