The National Weather Service says a cold front bringing high wind and storms will move through the Danville area today. The area will see a sustained wind of 15 to 25 mph and gusts as high as 50 mph from noon to midnight. Thunderstorms and straight-line wind are possible, mainly from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Those conditions may result in isolated power outages from downed trees and power lines.
“The ground already is saturated, and with additional rain and high wind, we expect to see trees down and falling across power lines, causing isolated outages,” Ken Ashworth, director of the power and light division, said Wednesday morning.
Ashworth has placed additional line workers on standby to respond to any power outages tonight.
Residents and visitors are urged to make individual preparations for the storm.
• Maintain a kit of enough provisions to sustain all residents in a home for at least 72 hours. These kits should include: a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlight, extra batteries, food that does not need refrigeration, a non-electric can opener (if kit contains canned food), bottled water, first aid kit, prescription medication or other individual needs and copies of important family documents such as insurance policies and identification.
• Know the Danville Utilities 24-hour emergency number – (434) 773-8300 – so that it is readily available if needed to report a power outage. When calling, customers are asked to verify their telephone number and account number with the staff member or through the automated system.
• Bring in outdoor furniture, garbage cans and other items that are not tied down.
Danville Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater and telecommunications services in Danville and distributes electricity to approximately 42,000 customer locations in a 500-square-mile service territory covering Danville, the southern third of Pittsylvania County, and small portions of Henry and Halifax counties.