Are you ready for the next storm event, AC Electric asks

Courtesy/Atlantic City Electric

MAYS LANDING - As local communities continue recovering from the remnants of Hurricane Ida, including the impacts of an EF3 tornado, and with several named storms already impacting the East Coast, Atlantic City Electric is observing September as National Preparedness Month to remind customers of the importance of being prepared for severe weather and other emergencies.

As part of its preparation efforts, Atlantic City Electric invests millions of dollars each year modernizing the local energy grid and hardening its 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 recent years.

Staying prepared helps ensure the safety of our communities, employees and contractors, said Tyler Anthony, senior vice president and Chief Operating Officer of Pepco Holdings, which includes Atlantic City Electric. We are continuing to see stronger and more severe storms as a result of climate change. National Preparedness Month is a great reminder for our communities to be ready when storms do come. As a company we continue to ensure our readiness through regular planning and drills, consistent communication and engagement with local emergency management and other government agencies and continuous investment in the local energy grid.

To help customers plan and prepare for an emergency, Atlantic City Electric offers the following tips:

• 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 1-800-833-7476.


• Visit the Storm Readiness section of AC Electric website for more.

If severe storms hit, Atlantic City Electric has many online resources to keep customers informed. The company's interactive outage map and its mobile app provide customers information about outages across the company's system and give an estimate of how quickly power is expected to be restored. To report an outage or downed wire, call 800-833-7476 or report and track through our mobile app or our website at atlanticcityelectric.com/storm.

Customers also can text Out to 20661 to report their outage. Customers also should sign up for proactive notification from the company, via text, email or phone regarding storm preparedness, outages and more.

As part of the Exelon family of companies, Atlantic City Electric also participates in collaborative emergency response training exercises with its sister companies BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco and shares best practices to ensure it can provide seamless support and resources to another Exelon company during a storm or emergency restoration effort. During the recent restoration efforts in Gloucester County, Atlantic City Electric received support from sister utilities as well as mutual assistance from as far away as Canada and Ohio, with more than 650 personnel working at one time.

Launched in 2004, National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency within the Department of Homeland Security. During the month, FEMA and DHS encourage Americans to prepare for emergencies in all facets of their lives.