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Thursday night, there were still 60% of Prince Edward homes without power. By 9 a.m. Friday, that number had dropped to 30%. Dominion officials and workers, as well as staff from the governor’s office spoke with The Herald, explaining both the challenges they’ve dealt with and why it’s a good idea to take today to “take precautions”. 

There are still quite a few homes without power. In Prince Edward, the number stands at 3,647 as of 9 a.m., while Cumberland is at 1,502. Buckingham, meanwhile, is in better shape, with 612 left. The problem, Dominion workers say, is where a lot of the downed lines are. 

“Not a lot of stuff is truck access, so restoration takes a little bit longer,” said Dustin Sadler. He works as a lineman with Dominion Energy and has been tackling repairs in our region since Tuesday. What’s left are downed lines in the woods or in fields, so the crews can’t just drive up to it. To get back up where the damage is, crews have had to break out the ice cleats and climbing gear in some cases. They’ve also had to navigate issues on the roads. 

“We have some driving accidents here and there with broken poles, but a lot of wire down,” Sadler said. “We’re getting it done as fast as possible and as safe as possible.” 

Dominion officials said that day shift and night shift crews have been overlapping, working on this 24 hours a day since the outages started. They told The Herald there are 3,700 linemen and other personnel working to get all the lights back on. To help the situation in Prince Edward and Cumberland, Dominion brought in additional crews from other regions. 

Dominion officials ask for patience

Company officials estimate that almost all of the work will be finished by 11 p.m. tonight. There will be some of the most rural areas, some of the hardest to reach places like Sadler referred to, that could stretch into Saturday before the lights come back on. 

And that’s why company officials are also asking for patience. So far, they’ve been able to restore power to hundreds of homes at once, by fixing broken poles and downed lines. But now we’re heading into a different stage of cleanup. 

“This stage involves a significant number of work locations with fewer customers restored at each location,” Dominion officials said in a statement to The Herald. 

Another problem on the way 

When the lights do come back on, officials from the governor’s office and Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged residents to prepare for more potential problems this weekend. As all of this ice and snow melts, it’s being absorbed by an already saturated ground. With more rain in the forecast both for Saturday and Sunday, along with temperatures expected to drop into the low 30s, there’s the potential for both flood conditions and more ice. 

“As we continue to coordinate state resources and work alongside local officials to support communities impacted by this week’s winter weather, our focus remains getting the power back on, the roads clear, and preparations for the next storm,” Youngkin said. “The coming days will bring two more storms across the Commonwealth, and I urge all Virginians to stay informed, take necessary precautions, and prioritize safety. Whether it’s avoiding flooded roadways, preparing for potential power outages, or checking in on neighbors, every effort counts because we are in this together.”

Farmville has already been placed under a flood warning, which is issued when flooding is already happening or about to take place. The National Weather Service has raised concerns about the Appomattox River. 

The governor’s office said the Virginia Department of Emergency Management is working with Buckingham, Cumberland and Prince Edward, to see where warming centers are needed and any other issues addressed. Also, soldiers from the National Guard and support personnel from the Virginia Defense Force have been notified that as the next round of storms roll through this weekend, they will most likely be deployed.