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PARKERSBURG -- Preparations were made for a storm that may cause electrical service outages in the next few days, FirstEnergy announced on Thursday.
Company meteorologists are monitoring a strong winter storm that is expected to produce winds gusting in excess of 60 mph, heavy snow or rain and possible flooding in some of FirstEnergy's service areas in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey.
"We are monitoring the weather conditions closely and are making plans to deploy resources to the areas that could get hit the hardest," said Mark Julian, vice president of utility operations for FirstEnergy. "The ultimate goal of our pre-planning efforts is to speed the restoration process and minimize any inconvenience our customers experience due to the weather."
Personnel are prepared to respond to outages caused by the high winds and wet snow forecast for the eastern U.S., the utility said.
In the meantime, the National Weather Service in Charleston issued a wind advisory that was to be in effect through 2 a.m. today for Perry, Morgan, Athens, Washington, Wood, Pleasants, Tyler, Ritchie, Doddridge, Harrison, Taylor and Barbour counties in Ohio and West Virginia. The cities of Marietta, Belpre, Parkersburg, Vienna, St. Marys, Belmont, Paden City, Sistersville, Middlebourne, Harrisville, Pennsboro and West Union are included.
A wind advisory means gusts of 46 mph to 57 mph are expected, the weather service said.
Rick Woodyard, director of the 911 Center in Wood County, said the center will keep an eye on weather developments.
"We'll simply be monitoring and have the staff levels where they need to be," he said.
Most of the high wind will be in the mountains of West Virginia, Woodyard said.
Woodyard encouraged residents to call the power company, not 911, if they lose power. Calls to 911 are for medical emergencies, injury accidents and severe property damage, Woodyard said.
To illustrate the power of the wind, a June 2012 derecho, an intense straight line gust of wind, caused major widespread damage throughout Parkersburg, Wood County and counties east along a line that basically followed U.S. 50. Hundreds of utility workers were dispatched to the area where electrical service was out for several weeks.
Monongahela Power Co. in West Virginia is a FirstEnergy company.
All of FirstEnergy electric utilities are reviewing storm response plans. The plans include making arrangements to bring in additional line, substation and forestry personnel, and additional dispatchers and analysts at regional dispatch offices, as required, based on the severity of the weather, FirstEnergy said.
As the winter storm moves across from the west into Friday, if the damage in Ohio is not as severe, personnel from FirstEnergy's Ohio utilities could be deployed to assist with service restoration efforts in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and New Jersey, as needed. FirstEnergy also has secured about 400 additional line contractors that will be assigned to areas expected to be hardest hit by the severe weather.
In addition, the company has been in contact with electric industry mutual assistance organizations about the possibility of securing additional resources to assist with storm restoration efforts.
Customers who are without power can call 1-888-544-4877 to report outages or click the Report Outage link at firstenergycorp.com.
Customers are encouraged to prepare for the possibility of outages caused by high winds by:
* Keeping electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops and tablet computers fully charged to be ready for any emergencies.
* Keeping a flashlight, portable radio and extra batteries handy in the event a power interruption occurs. Tune to a local station for current storm information.
* Do not use a portable generator inside the house or a closed garage in the event of a power outage. Ensure the proper generator is selected and installed by a qualified electrician. When operating a generator, the power coming into the home should always be disconnected. Otherwise, power from the generator could be sent back onto the utility lines, creating a hazardous situation for utility workers.
* Gather extra blankets or a sleeping bag for each person. Do not use gas stoves, kerosene heaters or other open-flame heat sources to prevent deadly carbon monoxide gas from building up in your home.
* For those with a water well and pump, keeping an emergency supply of bottled water or fill a bathtub with fresh water.
* Stocking an emergency supply of convenience foods that do not require cooking.
* Mobile phones can be charged in a vehicle using a car charger when the power is out. A smart phone will ensure access to online information sources.