Crews from the Northern Virginia Electrical Cooperative (NOVEC), along with contractors and support from other electric cooperatives, continue to restore power after a severe storm that hit Northern Virginia on Thursday, August 29, 2024. The storm caused significant damage, particularly in Stafford County and southern Fauquier County, leading to widespread outages and extensive repairs.
As of 7 a.m. on Saturday, August 31, NOVEC reports that the number of customers affected by the storm has decreased from 6,000 to approximately 430. In Stafford County, crews are focused on replacing broken electric poles and repairing downed power lines. Replacing a single broken pole can take several hours, especially when trees are down, and the ground is saturated from heavy rain.
Damage assessment was completed on Friday, August 30, and line crews worked through the night to restore power to affected areas, including those in Stafford County. NOVEC crews have been joined by contractors and linemen from several organizations, including Choptank Electric Cooperative, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Central Virginia Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Cooperative, Bayline Construction, River City, and Utility Lines Construction Services, LLC.
As of Friday evening, about 1,000 customers, many in Stafford County, were still without power. The storm caused significant damage to NOVEC’s infrastructure, with more than 30 electric poles broken and requiring replacement. The storm, which brought nearly seven inches of rain in one hour and winds ranging from 60 to 80 mph, caused widespread outages and damage to equipment.
NOVEC continues to provide updates on their progress through their website and the SmartHub app. Customers in Stafford and other affected areas can find the latest restoration estimates by checking NOVEC’s Outage Map or using the app.
The cooperative reminds customers in Stafford and beyond to report outages by calling 703-335-0500, logging in to SmartHub, or texting “#OUT” to 85700. Safety tips and additional information about the restoration process can be found on the NOVEC website.
