VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — With hurricane season underway, Dominion Energy and emergency management crews are working together to make sure they’re ready to respond before the next major storm hits.
On Thursday morning, Dominion Energy partnered with the city of Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Management for a preparedness walk-through, reviewing key locations that could serve as staging areas following a storm.
"When we're looking at potential facilities for processing staging centers, it's really important to walk the land," said Shawn Talmadge with Dominion Energy. "We need to understand the traffic flow, the utilities and how we get in and out of these facilities."
The walkthrough is part of a broader effort to ensure crews can quickly respond to power outages and damage after a storm. David Tobczynski with Virginia Beach Emergency Management said the focus immediately after a storm is assessing damage and restoring safety.
"We want to know which areas are most impacted and how we can make them safe again," Tobczynski said. "That may mean securing areas with downed power lines or damaged infrastructure, and then restoring power safely — even if that requires temporary fixes."
Dominion Energy and the city are identifying parks and other open areas to stage large utility trucks and equipment, placing them closer to neighborhoods and businesses so crews can respond faster.
The staging areas may also serve as supply hubs, storing protective gear, line tools and powerline components.
“These could be base camps or places to bring in materials so they’re closer to where they’re needed,” Talmadge said. “Our priority is safety. We want to restore energy as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible.”
Dominion Energy also emphasized the importance of preparation, including requesting help from crews in neighboring states when needed.
If you experience a power outage, Dominion Energy urges you to report it immediately through their website. For more information on storm preparedness and outage reporting, visit your local emergency management department website.
