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HURRICANE PREPARATION GUIDE Dominion ramps up storm preparations
Emergency plans promote preparedness
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2011 HURRICANE PREPARATION GUIDE
TRACY AGNEW/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
Preparation: Wanda Trescot, a shift manager at Dominion Virginia Power’s Eastern Regional Operations Center, shows off the screens that keep the employees in the windowless room tuned in to the weather radar, outage reports and other essential information.
Dominion ramps up storm prep BY TRACY AGNEW NEWS EDITOR
With forecasters predicting a particularly active hurricane season this year, Dominion Virginia Power took time this week to rehearse its operations for a hurricane situation. Officials from all over the company converged on the Eastern Regional Operations Center to test the company’s communications and logistical systems and capabilities. “The whole purpose is to restore power faster,” said Brett A. Crable, the company’s director of customer solutions for eastern Virginia and North Carolina. “That’s what this is all about.” Since this spring, the company has been working with state and local authorities to prepare for the season. It also is double-checking its inventory of repair materials to ensure it can respond quickly to the extensive damage major storms can cause. Inside the Norfolk center, a core group of people works around the clock every day of the year to respond to power outages. Each “pod” covers a specific coverage area. Even in perfect weather, power outages
still can result from car accidents, vandalism and other incidents. Those are the easy days. “Sometimes, we appreciate the boredom,” said Wanda Trescot, a 33-year veteran of the company who is a shift manager in the pod room. But, she added, “It can ramp up very quickly in here.” Trescot and her colleagues know well what the phrase “the calm before the storm” means. When the bad weather starts rolling in — whether from a hurricane, severe thunderstorm or other event — this is where the outage reports come to be handled. Employees there — armed with wall-to-wall and floorto-ceiling maps of the area’s transmission system, as well as giant screens displaying weather radar, outages and incidents — determine the greatest need and dispatch repair crews. Employees at the center also control the flow of electricity in the line system to keep field workers safe as they repair the lines. Hospitals, 911 call centers, fire stations and water treatment plants are prioritized, Trescot said. Those living near them are just lucky.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Repair: Dominion Virginia Power crews work around the clock after a storm to get the lights back on to the company’s millions of customers. Areas with hospitals, 911 call centers, fire departments, water treatment plants and other essential public buildings get top priority.
“It’s very exciting work,” she said. “It’s constant training, constant learning.” The company also owns a mobile command center that it can dispatch during severe weather events. Most recently, it was deployed to a Lowe’s parking lot in Portsmouth after a round of severe storms on May 24.
“It will absolutely be used during a hurricane,” Crable said. “We use it in the hardest-hit areas.” The command center is a 38-foot trailer armed with a diesel generator, six work stations, 13 phone lines, satellite television, a conference room and more. The mobile command cen-
ter represents a vital link with customers when other forms of communication may be inaccessible, he said. “That makes a huge difference for our customers,” he said. “That is really an essential goal.” For more information about how Dominion prepares for storms, visit www.dom.com.
When the power goes out FROM STAFF REPORTS SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
When the power goes out during a hurricane, it may seem like there’s little to do other than wait out the storm and then wait to see electrical crews in your neighborhood. However, there are plenty of steps Dominion Virginia Power customers can take to help report the outage to the power company and ensure they and their neighbors are well prepared for the outage. “We will be ready if it happens,” said Rodney Blevins, vice
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president of distribution operations for Dominion. “We know that when a storm hits, customers count on us to get the power back on safely and as fast as humanly possible, and that’s our goal.” To help keep the lights (and air-conditioning!) on during and after a hurricane — and all the time — the power company plans to spend more than $1.7 billion during the next two years to strengthen the electric grid, support growing demand for electricity and improve service reliability. But if the power still goes out, Dominion offers this list
of tips for customers in dealing the power outage and potential dangers: Call 1-866-DOM-HELP if you lose power and use the automated system to report your outage. Before the storm, ensure your account information is up to date by visiting the company’s website, www.dom.com. Having accurate information will make the reporting process faster. Turn off major appliances such as heat pumps, water heaters and stoves. Unnplug other appliances such as televisions, stereos, microwaves and computers. This will prevent damage
to appliances and possible overloads to the company’s system. Leave one light on so you will be able to recognize when power is restored. Treat all downed lines and anything touching them as energized and dangerous. Keep children and pets away from the area. Keep needed supplies such as flashlights, water, medicines, portable radios, extra batteries and canned goods on hand. Follow safe operating procedures for generators. Never operate one inside your home or any enclosed space such as a garage.
Do not hook them directly to the electrical system of your home, because electricity could flow backward onto the power lines and endanger repair crews. The correct technique is to plug into the generator with proper-sized extension cords. Look after neighbors and relatives who may need assistance if they lose power. When a major storm is imminent, Dominion will post warnings on its website, www. dom.com. You can also receive warnings, safety tips and power restoration reports via Twitter at www.twitter.com/DomVAPower.
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SUNday, June 12, 2011 | PAGE 3B
Family emergency plans promote preparedness
Hurricane quick facts
4The word hurricane comes from the Taino Native American word, hurucane, meaning evil spirit of the wind. 4The first time anyone flew into a hurricane was in 1943 in the middle of World War II. 4A tropical storm is classified as a hurricane once winds goes up to 74 miles per hour or higher. 4Hurricanes are the only weather disasters that have been given their own names. 4All hurricanes begin life in a warm moist atmosphere over tropical ocean waters. 4A typical hurricane can dump 6 inches to a foot of rain across a region. 4The most violent winds and heaviest rains take place in the eye wall, the ring of clouds and thunderstorms closely surrounding the eye. 4Every second, a large hurricane releases the energy of 10 atomic bombs. 4In the Pacific Ocean, Hurricanes are generally known as typhoons. In the Indian Ocean they are called tropical cyclones. 4The man who first gave names to hurricanes was an Australian weather forecaster named C. Wragge in the early 1900s. Hurricane season is from June to November when the seas are at their warmest and most humid, which are ripe conditions for a hurricane to develop.
By Emily R. Collins Staff Writer
With all the problems hurricanes can cause, every family should have a versatile emergency plan that can set the groundwork for storm preparedness. According to Suffolk Emergency Management Coordinator Capt. Jim Judkins, having a plan is essential in preparing for all types of disasters, not just hurricanes. In a family emergency plan, all of the members decide on solutions to problems that might arise during a disaster before the emergency hits. “Creating an emergency plan for your family is like cooking in the kitchen; you have to have a place to start,” Judkins said. The first step in forming an emergency plan is looking at the threats to your home. “You have to know what to prepare for before you can set anything in action,” Judkins said. “You have to look at possible threats.” He said with tidal surge as a major threat during hurricanes, families should find out if they live in flood areas. Maps of the city marking these areas are available at the emergency services office. By assessing threats, families decide whether they need to evacuate ahead of a hurricane or if they can ride out the storm. The next step in forming a plan is to choose an outof-town person everyone in the family can contact if
Submitted Photo
Emergency kit: A good emergency plan will include setting up a kit with all the things that will be vital to survival during an emergency. Make sure to involve your children in building this kit.
they get separated during a storm. Judkins said it is sometimes harder to reach local phones during disasters than it is to reach longdistance numbers. “When you get to where you want to go, you can contact that person and let them know you got there OK,” he said. In addition, the city’s emergency services office provides a form for families to list the out-of-town contact in addition to other important phone numbers, such as for the family doctor and electric company. Another benefit of making a family emergency plan is that it helps families prepare for often-overlooked problems that come with disasters. For example, Judkins said, he thinks most people tend to forget you can’t use cordless phones or
charge cell phones without electricity. Also, some families have members with medical conditions that rely on electricity for treatment, or they might require several medications every day. He said family emergency plans can help the members notice these complications and prepare for them before they become problematic. To provide additional help for citizens with medical conditions, Judkins said, his department maintains a special-needs registry that provides emergency workers with information that can assist them in helping people with special needs during a disaster. “It all boils down to one thing: I can’t help you if I don’t know where you are,” he said. “It helps me prepare to make sure my
citizens are safe.” Judkins said all of the medical information is confidential and can only be accessed by certain emergency officials. Judkins said while putting a plan in place, families should discuss all of the possible complications and make sure all members are comfortable with the plan. “You want to get everyone together to talk about the plan,” Judkins said. “It’s a time when you need to reassure your family that you’ll all be there together and it’ll be OK.” To learn more about family emergency plans, visit www.vaemergency. com or contact the city’s emergency services office at 514-4536. To learn more about special needs registry, visit www.hrspecialneeds.org.
SOURCE: HurricaneFacts.com
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2011 Hurricane preparation guide
Hurricane categories Category One Hurricane — Sustained winds 74-95 mph; Very dangerous winds will produce some damage
Category Four Hurricane — Sustained winds 131-155 mph; Catastrophic damage will occur
Category Two Hurricane — Sustained winds 96-110 mph; Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage
Category Five Hurricane — Sustained winds greater than 155 mph; Catastrophic damage will occur
Category Three Hurricane — Sustained winds 111-130 mph; Devastating damage will occur
Quick Fact: The 2005 hurricane season was the busiest season ever, recording 28 named storms.
2011 Atlantic hurricane names Arlene Bret Cindy Don Emily Franklin Gert
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2011 Hurricane preparation guide
Stocking home with emergency food supply can save time By Emily R. Collins Staff Writer
One of the most essential things Suffolk residents should do in preparation for a hurricane is to put together an emergency kit that contains plenty of food and water for your family, along with other necessities. To stay prepared at all times, Capt. Jim Judkins, Suffolk’s emergency management coordinator, said it is best to have an emergency supply of food and water in your home throughout the year, not just during hurricane season. However, buying enough food for every member of the family for a minimum of three days can be a daunting task. Fortunately, Judkins said, most of the necessary items are things people keep in their homes all year, such as canned
goods and bottled water, so it is easy to circulate the products between everyday and emergency supplies. “That way you aren’t spending a lot of extra money on food you use on a day-to-day basis,” Judkins said. By keeping a supply all year, Judkins said, residents also can avoid the mad dash to the grocery stores when a hurricane is heading toward the area. Emergency supplies should be stocked with foods you and your family enjoy, but attention to the content of the foods is necessary. A lot of nonperishable food is unhealthy, Judkins said, but there are many foods, such as canned tuna, beans and trail mix, that are good sources of protein. Also, people with special dietary needs should read labels carefully to
ensure they aren’t selecting foods that can create problems. If you keep an emergency food supply in your home, Judkins said the food shouldn’t be kept longer than six months so it doesn’t get old. Expiration isn’t much of an issue for canned food, he said, because even after the sell-by date, the food is OK to eat — it just might not taste very good. And while water doesn’t expire, the containers can go bad, and you might not be able to drink the water, Judkins said. Judkins suggests having a week’s supply of food and water for everyone to prepare for the worst. Three days’ worth is the absolute minimum. He said having a supply for a longer period of time comes in handy when an evacuated family has to stay away longer than they anticipated or if the power
is out for an extended period of time. Judkins said having the extra food also accounts for the food lost during power outages. He said most refrigerated food goes bad in about 72 hours, or sooner if the refrigerator is opened frequently, and should be thrown away after that time. In addition to having enough food, it is important to prepare the food safely, especially when using a grill. Judkings said people should not grill inside their houses, under porches or in garages in order to avoid fire and carbon monoxide hazards. Generators can also create a carbon monoxide risk. Judkins said be sure to set the generator far enough away from the house so no fumes can enter.
Submitted Photo
Spoiled food: Most refrigerated food goes bad in about 72 hours, or sooner if the refrigerator is opened frequently, and should be thrown away after that time.
4Storm Intensity
Path of destruction
664 T
600 T
Following is a list of the 21 costliest tropical cyclones in the United States from 1851 to 2005. Cost is in billions of dollars, adjusted to 2005 levels. Year Category 3 $81.2 5 $43.7 4 $15.0 3 $14.2 4 $12.3 1 $11.3 3 $10.8 2 $8.9 5 $8.9 1955 1 2004 3 1979 3 1938 3 2001 TS 1999 2 1944 3 1996 3 1983 3 1995 3 1954 3 2003 2
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757 T
627 T
741 T
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Category 1 - Winds 74-95 MPH Category 2 - Winds 96-110 MPH Category 3 - Winds 111-130 MPH
628 T
17 T
664 T
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620 T
623
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604 T 605 T 629 T 627 T 604 T 606 T 605 T 743 337 T T 611 460 Source: T T 634 T 632 T 1750 Virginia Hurricane Evacuation Study T 635 665 736 City of Suffolk T T T 608 T 638 737 June 2006 T T 637 T 642 609 T by U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District TT 640 T 644 608 T 637 TT 614 T 639 610 607 T 1329 58 608 T T T T 739 T 13 738 T T 32 T 739 740 T T 642 T 1101 13 T T 647 T 644 T 610 688 645 T T 612 T T 58 T 649 T 647 604 T 685 T T 653 T 705 T 648 T 32 647 615 T T T 643 T 759 T 260 642 T T 759 T 272 T 13 T 653 T 759 T 189 675 T T 675 675 T T 616 T 642 673 T T 666 32 T T 616 T 616 604 T T 759 T 642 643 T T 677 T 642 T 642 T
Category 4 - Winds 131-155 MPH
$7.0 $6.9 $6.3 $6.0 $5.8 $5.8 $5.4 $4.5 $4.4 $4.3 $3.9 $3.6
10 T 125 T 601 T 741 T 742 T
164 701 T T 626 T 658 T 757 T 659 T
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135 T
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601 T
604 T
SOURCE: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
David Rawls BE NCE A RIC Y Electrical R U H EAD
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628 T
620 T
Rank Hurricane 1 Katrina (LA, MI, AL, FL) 2005 2 Andrew (SE FL, SE LA) 1992 3 Charley(SW FL) 2004 4 Ivan (AL/NW FL) 2004 5 Hugo (SC) 1989 6 Agnes (FL, NE U.S.) 1972 7 Betsy (SE FL, SE LA) 1965 8 Frances (FL) 2004 9 Camille (MS, SE LA, VA) 1969 10 Diane (NE U.S.) 11 Jeanne (FL) 12 Frederic (AL, MS) 13 NEW ENGLAND 14 Allison (N TX) 15 Floyd (Mid-Atlantic & NE U.S.) 16 NE U.S. 17 Fran (NC) 18 Alicia (N TX) 19 Opal (NW FL, AL) 20 Carol (NE U.S.) 21 Isabel (Mid-Atlantic)
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