Danville Utilities is urging customers to prepare for the possibility of extended power outages as the National Weather Service forecasts a winter storm bringing a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain to the area this weekend.

“The ice is more of a concern for us than the snow,” said Jason Grey, director of Danville Utilities. “Ice weighs down lines and trees, and this event will be widespread.”

To prepare, Danville Utilities has increased staffing and resources. Line and tree-trimming crews will work 16-hour shifts and will be supported by four local contract crews. In addition, three line crews from Ohio will arrive on Friday and remain for the duration of the storm.

“We will have more than 50 linemen working on restoration efforts,” Grey said.

Other personnel will serve as right-of-way tree trimmers, engineers, and spotters and coordinators who will be scouting and assessing damage from downed lines and broken poles, guiding repair crews to priority locations, and coordinating logistics to ensure equipment and materials reach the right places quickly. In total, approximately 80 personnel will be involved in outage response efforts.

Power restoration priorities

Danville Utilities restores power from the largest outages to the smallest. Substations are the top priority, followed by main distribution lines feeding from substations.

“Each substation has three to five feeders serving about a thousand customers each, so they are a priority,” Grey said. “Crews then work on isolated outages from the largest to the smallest. Our goal is to address the larger customer outages with the most number of people affected first, and then work our way down to the single outages.”

Customer preparedness

Residents are encouraged to prepare for possible outages by keeping an adequate supply of essentials, including:

• Drinking water (about one gallon per person per day for at least three days)
• Nonperishable food that does not require cooking
• Warm blankets, extra clothing, and sleeping bags
• Flashlights with fresh batteries
• A battery-powered or hand-cranked radio
• A basic first-aid kit

Broken water lines

Subfreezing temperatures are also a concern. Forecasts show daytime highs below freezing from Saturday through Tuesday, with overnight lows in the teens and possibly single digits.

“I know we will have houses with frozen water lines,” Grey said. “We will have to cut people off because of busted pipes inside houses and under crawl spaces. It happens every time we have temperatures this low.”

Reporting outages and emergencies

Danville Utilities uses smart meters that automatically report power outages, so customers do not need to call to report them. However, a 24-hour emergency line for power outages is available at 434-773-8300, and customers can also visit the outage portal at outages.danvilleutilities.com.

For water and gas emergencies, customers should call the separate 24-hour line at 434-799-5284.

Customers are also encouraged to review Danville Utilities’ storm preparation guide to better understand how to prepare and stay safe during severe winter weather.