WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – Appalachian Power Company is preparing for the possibility of power outages as a line of strong storms is expected to move across parts of its service territory over the next two days.
According to the company, its meteorology team is tracking a weather system that is expected to begin west of the service area on the night of June 17 and move eastward over the following 48 hours. The forecast calls for a line of strong thunderstorms capable of producing wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph.
The storms are expected to move into Appalachian Power’s service region early Thursday, June 18, affecting portions of southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia and eastern Tennessee. Isolated severe storms could continue through Thursday evening.
“Widespread storms and sustained winds are the conditions that typically lead to power outages,” said David Robinson, APCo’s major storm incident commander.
“Our team has worked proactively this week to make sure we are prepared to respond and restore power, should outages occur, as quickly and safely as possible.”
The company said high winds can bring down trees and power lines, creating both outages and safety hazards.
Appalachian Power is encouraging customers to prepare for possible service interruptions and to enroll in Outage Alerts to receive real-time updates. The company also recommends reviewing storm safety information and outage preparedness tips ahead of the severe weather threat.
