The company is calling on its contractor line and tree-clearance crews and bringing in staff for operations and other work.
“This means dispatch,” Kabel said. “This means having people in the call center. This means having people in systems operations. We can be as efficient as possible answering phone calls and dispatching crews.”
AES Ohio, the former Dayton Power & Light, is bringing in 12 contractor crews Friday and Saturday, meaning 24 contractors who are paired for safety reasons in what is expected to be sub-zero temperatures when wind chill is taken into account.
Even without wind chill, the National Weather Service is predicting that Friday’s morning low in the Dayton area will be minus-3, with a chance of snow and blowing snow. Christmas Eve will remain cold, with a predicted high of just 11 above, with windy conditions.
The utility expects a possible two to four inches of snow north of Interstate 70, with perhaps one to two inches south of the highway. But with strong winds, nearly any amount of snow can be a problem.
The utility provides electric transmission and distribution service to more than 527,000 customers across its 6,000-square-mile service territory in west central Ohio.
The utility also expects to have contractors working to address downed lines and necessary underground work. And the company will have tree-clearance crews ready to go. “With this storm, as you know, with the wind, branches and trees are going to be problematic,” Kabel said.
AES Ohio’s contractor in these situations is Davis H. Elliot Co. Inc., a Lexington, Ky.-based electrical contractor specializing in overhead and underground distribution, transmission lines and other electric infrastructure. The company has a Miamisburg location.
The coming cold front, with flash-freeze and blizzard conditions expected in some locations, will stretch from Canada to northern Georgia and parts of the U.S. Southeast.
“It’s not just us. It’s all over across the U.S.,” Kabel said.
Customers can report downed power lines and outages anytime online at aesohio.com/outages or by calling 877-4OUTAGE (877-468-8243).
AES Ohio is advising customers to have emergency storm kits readily available. The company recommends an emergency radio (battery powered or solar charged), mobile device chargers, flashlights, first aid kits, non-perishable food items, water, face coverings, hand sanitizer, batteries and other necessities.
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