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Pepco News Release

Pepco Urges Customers to Stay Safe as
High Winds Fell Trees and Bring Down Wires
Soaking rains followed by high winds have taken down many trees throughout the Washington area and have caused numerous power outages. Pepco crews are working to restore power but the high winds make their work more difficult and are continuing to cause new outages. Trees that bring down power lines create hazardous conditions and Pepco urges customers to stay safe during these weather emergencies. Pepco urges customers to heed the following safety tips:
· All downed wires should be treated as if they are energized. Do not approach them or touch them. If you see a downed wire, report it to Pepco at 1-877-PEPCO-62
· Report power outages by calling 1-877-PEPCO-62
· Never attempt to remove trees or limbs from any utility line. Assume all objects touching a power line are energized.
· Keep away from flooded areas and stay indoors. Even wading in a shallow puddle or flooded basement that is exposed to an energized line could cause a harmful or fatal electrical contact.
· Keep children and pets inside and away from standing water.
· If your basement is flooded, DO NOT attempt to turn off power or operate circuit breakers while standing in water.
· Turn off all appliances, including your furnace, air conditioner, water heater and water pump. That way, you can avoid a circuit overload and another outage that may result when power is restored to all appliances at once
· Unplug sensitive electronics and turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if you can safely do so.
· (NOTE: Do not turn off power to sump pumps.)
· Leave on one lamp so you'll know when the power is restored.
· If you use a portable generator, always operate it outside, away from doors and windows, to avoid deadly carbon monoxide.
· For your safety and the safety of Pepco employees working to restore power, do not connect your generator directly into your home's main fuse box or circuit panel. Improperly connected generators can feed electricity back into the electrical system, endangering field personnel working to restore your power. Consult a qualified electrical contractor if a permanent generator installation is desired.

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