MAYS LANDING, N.J. - Atlantic City Electric is monitoring a weather forecast over the next two days that calls for heavy rain that could cause localized flooding and gusty winds that may impact the company's service territory, as well as continuing to closely monitor the track of Hurricane Joaquin.

Governor Christie has declared a state of emergency with flooding concerns for coastal communities and for residents along the Delaware Bay. This includes the counties of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem, all of which are served by Atlantic City Electric.    

Atlantic City Electric has crews prepared to restore any potential outages, but customers should be prepared for the possibility of power outages that can last for a short period of time or multiple days depending on the damage to the system. In addition to internal linemen, Atlantic City Electric has overhead line contractors and tree crews ready to be deployed. We have also had discussions with the North Atlantic Mutual Assistance (NAMA) and Southeastern Electric Exchange (SEE) groups to secure outside utility crews.

Atlantic City Electric is also in contact with local emergency management officials including the Red Cross and our Call Centers are staffed and prepared for this event. 

High winds can bring tree limbs into contact with power lines causing power outages. We will work around the clock to restore any outages that may occur, however for the safety of the overhead line personnel, if sustained winds reach 35 mph, work that requires raising a bucket/arm boom will be interrupted until it is safe for the crews to continue.

Safety is our No. 1 priority. We urge our customers to stay clear of working crews and any wires hanging loose from poles or lying on the ground. Customers should always assume that downed wires are energized and avoid them. Customers are asked to immediately report a downed wire by calling 1-800-833-7476. 

We also ask customers to let us know if they lose their power. They can report outages by calling 1-800-833-7476, visiting www.atlanticcityelectric.com or through our mobile app, available for download at www.atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp. It's important that customers report their outages and request a call back to verify their power has been restored.

Customers should check their emergency supply kits and be prepared in case they do lose

power. Emergency kits should include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items and medications, cash, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.

Identify a safe alternate location in case of an extended outage. Tune to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.

Find additional information and updates by visiting www.atlanticcityelectric.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atlanticcityelectric, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acelecconnect. Download our mobile app at www.atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp.