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FARMVILLE – Winds will gust as high as 55 mph at times, as Prince Edward County and the surrounding area is under a severe weather warning today. That’s according to the National Weather Service (NWS), who put out a wind advisory late Friday for Farmville and the surrounding counties. 

As of 7 a.m., Saturday, the main portion of the storm cell was still stuck in Tennessee. And while this area won’t see the majority of the storm’s impact, it will be felt, the latest NWS report said. 

“Scattered strong (to) serve thunderstorms are expected,” the report said. “Wind, hail and a few tornadoes are possible. Damaging winds should be the primary concern.” 

Expect the wind gusts to stick around throughout the day, NWS officials in the Wakefield station said. A first round of showers will push across Prince Edward and the surrounding areas this morning, they added, clearing off by early afternoon. Then a second round of showers and several thunderstorms are expected later today and into the evening hours. That’s the group with the most potential for severe weather. 

With high winds comes the potential for downed trees and power outages, but both Southside Electric Cooperative and Dominion say they’re monitoring the situation.The storm system heading this way has already turned out the lights for people in multiple states. According to NWS officials, five states counted more than 50,000 customers without power so far due to the storm. 

Any SEC members who may experience an outage this weekend are encouraged to text “#out” to 866-878-5514 using the mobile number on their account or call 866-878-5514 to report the outage using the automated service. You can also click here. 

Any residents who use Dominion Energy can call 866-366-4357 to report any outages. 

Prepare for severe weather

Even if you’re on the edge of the storm system, officials from both the NWS and power companies urge caution. In other words, this is a good time to check and make sure you’ve got batteries in case the lights go out. 

Also, check to see if all your devices are fully charged.That includes your phone, laptop and any other electronic devices. Also, be sure to prepare food, water and other emergency supplies. Finally, if you see a downed power line, steer clear. Instead, report it to 1-866-DOM-HELP or 1-866-878-5514 to get a power company to respond.