Submitted Photo/KELLY DOVE

The snow on area pine trees makes for a picturesque scene, but is responsible for several local communities within Mingo County being without electricity due to the ice and wet snow that accumulated on the power lines, causing them to snap. Appalachian Electric Power has crews working around the clock to restore service to those currently without as quickly, efficiently and as safely as possible.

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RACHEL DOVE-BALDWIN

Staff Writer

WILLIAMSON - According to information provided by the public relations department of Appalachian Electric Power, as of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, more than 29,000 customers in Virginia and an additional 134,000 customers in West Virginia are without electric service as a result of the storm that resulted from Hurricane Sandy hitting the East Coast of the U.S.

WV locations where the most customers without power have been reported include Kanawha, Fayette, Cabell, Boone, Raleigh, Lincoln, McDowell, Logan, Putnam, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, Nicholas and Greenbrier.

Virginia locations where the most customers without power have been reported include the counties of Dickenson, Tazewell, Buchanan, Franklin, Roanoke County, Russell, Smyth, Washington and Wythe.

Until assessors can provide a clearer picture of the amount of damage caused by the storm, AEP stated they are unable to provide specific restoration estimates with any degree of accuracy. However, restoration is expected to take several days in the majority of the affected areas.

The information provided to the Daily News stated that AEP currently have more than 1,000 company and contract line mechanics and more than 200 damage assessors dedicated to service restoration. Additional resources are expected to arrive from Ohio by Tuesday evening to assist as needed. On Monday, AEP staged hundreds of contractors along with our own employees in the areas that were hardest hit by the storm.

Safety is AEP’s highest priority, according to the press release. Once outages occur, damage assessment begins as soon as the weather passes to the point that it is safe for workers to be in the field. Service restoration is handled by priority meaning essential public safety facilities are repaired first followed by trouble areas affecting the most customers. From there, small clusters of customers are repaired and then individual homes and businesses.

If you have experienced an electrical outage due to the snow storm that blanketed the majority of WV, Ky. and Va., you may call 1-800-982-4237 and in Ky. you may call 1-800-572-1113 and report your location if you have not already done so. The release reminded the public to not assume a neighbor has reported the outage because they could very well be thinking the same thing. Once a general area experiencing outages is noted, the location will be listed on the automated update you will hear when you call AEP for assistance.