MAYS LANDING, N.J. - Winter storm Jonas, bringing high winds and heavy snow, moved into the region last night and is expected to continue through Sunday morning. The storm caused significant damage in Atlantic, Cape May and Ocean counties, leaving more than 40,000 Atlantic City Electric customers without power.

Sustained winds of 30 mph to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph along the coast have hampered restoration efforts. Crews will assess damage and make repairs when they can work safely. Significant flooding along the coast is also preventing access to areas requiring repair and further delaying restoration. Critical customers who need electricity for life support equipment are advised to seek shelter where power is available.

"We're keeping a close watch on the weather and wind speeds," said Vince Maione, Atlantic City Electric region president. "We'll continue conducting a comprehensive assessment which we'll use to strategically deploy crews. Crews will work around the clock as safely and quickly as possible until every customer is restored."

All Atlantic City Electric employees have a second role during emergencies and will participate in the restoration effort.  Mutual assistance personnel from other utilities have also been enlisted to assist in the restoration process.

Atlantic City Electric will prioritize its restoration effort by first addressing damage to its critical electric infrastructure including transmission lines and substation equipment, as well as hospitals, fire and police stations, water filtration plants.  Next, crews repair main distribution lines that serve the largest number of customers, followed by single customers in rural areas.   

The safety of our customers and crews is paramount. Customers are urged to avoid working crews and to stay away from all downed wires, even if they don't appear to be energized.  

All outages and downed wires should be reported to 1-800-833-7476, through www.atlanticcityelectric.com or through the mobile app, available for downloading at atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp. Customers should request a call back to verify their power has been restored.

Atlantic City Electric urges its customers to prepare for potential power outages and act to ensure their safety. Here are some tips:

Preparation Tips

• Have adequate prescription medicines or infant supplies on hand.
• If you or someone you know uses life-support equipment that requires electricity to operate, identify a location with emergency power capabilities and make plans to go there or to a hospital during a prolonged outage.
• Assemble an emergency "storm kit." Include a battery-powered radio or television, flashlight, a first-aid kit, battery-powered or windup clock, extra batteries, special needs items, an insulated cooler and a list of important and emergency phone numbers.
• Keep at least a three-day supply of non-perishable foods, bottled water, and have a hand-operated can opener available.
• Have a telephone with a cord or cell phone to use as a backup. Cordless telephones require electricity to operate, and won't work if there is an outage.
• Protect your electronic equipment. Unplug sensitive electronics or plug computers and other sensitive equipment into surge suppressors, and consider a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) for temporary battery backup power.
• Turn off power to flood-prone basement appliances if it is safe to do so. However, if you have an electrically operated sump pump, you should not turn off the power in your basement.

Safety Tips

• Stay away from downed wires. Call 1-800-833-7476 and follow the prompts to report a downed wire or an outage.
• Avoid crews working in the street. This will keep you and the crews safe, and allow them to work on restoring your power.
• Tune in to local news broadcasts for the latest weather and emergency information.
• Follow the advice of your local emergency management officials.
• Take cover if necessary.

For additional information and updates, visit www.atlanticcityelectric.com. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atlanticcityelectric and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/acelecconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.atlanticcityelectric.com/mobileapp.