Ahead of storm, power crews pack supplies, ask customers to pack their patience

Power crews in the Fredericksburg area are getting ready for another winter blast that could bring snow, ice, and rain to our area on Sunday and Monday.

Today, line crews spent the morning stocking trucks preparing for the storm at a Dominion Energy office on Warrenton Road in south Stafford.

One driver couldn’t buy as much fuel as he bargained for, while others packed this gas station on Route 3 in Spotsylvania County to fill up ahead of the incoming winter storm.

“A lot of what goes into it is making sure we are carrying a little bit more material than we would typically use on a day-to-day basis,” said Brian Jeter, an overhead line trainee who has spent the past five years working for Dominion Energy. “With snow coming, we know snow is a little heavy. A lot of trees are going to be falling. So we need more material to connect a wire back together than we would on, say, just a typical wire-down job.”

The next round of winter weather comes on the heels of a severe winter storm on January 3 that caused trees to fall, knocking out power for hundreds of thousands, and left drivers stranded on a 53-mile stretch of Interstate 95 between Dumfries and Kings Dominion.

“I tell you, that the snow was very wet, very heavy, and it stuck to everything, including trees, and it weighs them down to where they can’t tolerate that weight. And they broke pretty significant damage, almost like a Hurricane,” said Dominion Energy lineman Jason George.

If the power goes out again, Dominion crews ask the public to be patient.

“Be patient, hunker down with your family and try to avoid any type of travel unless it’s necessary. We need to have the roads as clear as possible so we can restore service as quick as we can, but as safe as we can and we have crews that will be working around the clock,” said George.

“Our biggest thing is we’re human, too. A lot of us are in here working 15, 16 hours a day…even when our own power is out,” adds Jeter.

According to the National Weather Service, five to 10 inches of snow, up to 15, could fall across the region, now under a winter storm watch. Snow is expected on Sunday into Monday, January 16 and 17.

The snow could fall fast on Sunday night, at one to three inches an hour.

On his last day in office, Gov. Ralph Northam issued a state of emergency ahead of the storm. The order activates the National Guard.

This month, Northam took heat after not activating the guard to help stranded motorists on I-95.