HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Saturday's winter weather caused several power outages across the Hampton Roads and North Carolina.
As of 5 p.m. Sunday, there are 72 customers in the Eastern region without service. Most of the affected customers are in the Williamsburg and Roanoke Rapids service area.
More than 220,000 customers statewide have lost power since 4 a.m. Saturday. Officials say crews have been assessing damage and are working around-the-clock to restore power as safely and quickly as possible to the 145,000 customers who remain without power as of 7 p.m. Saturday.
Officials say the vast majority of the outages locally are in Williamsburg and Roanoke Rapids. Majority of the electric outages were caused by tree and powerline damage by ice.
Dominion Energy crews have been conducting damage assessments and restoring outages since Saturday morning. They say their highest priority is getting the power back on for critical infrastructure such as hospitals, public safety, and water pumping stations.
According to officials, the storm’s impact on roads with ice and tree hazards has made the situation more complicated and slowed Dominion's restoration speed.
"We know many of our customers are staying home and counting on us for reliable service," said Charlene Whitfield, senior vice president of Power Delivery for Dominion Energy. "We appreciate our customers' patience and want to assure them that we will continue to work tirelessly until we restore power to every customer affected by this ice storm."
To report outages, a customer should call 866-DOM-HELP (866-366-4357). Outages may also be tracked and reported online at here or through the Dominion Energy app.
State Police are also discouraging Virginians from driving through Sunday due to extremely icy and treacherous conditions across much of Central, Southeastern and Northern Virginia.
