Is your power out from Monday's storm? Where power outages are and repair efforts

Monday night’s storms that swept through Delaware left thousands without power.

On Monday evening, severe thunderstorms moved through Delaware with heavy rain, damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph and localized flash flooding, as previously reported by the National Weather Service.

Throughout the night, many areas in Delaware experienced power outages, leaving many without power lingering into Tuesday.

A downed utility pole and a large tree at Schoolhouse Road and Old Lancaster Pike in Hockessin made the roadway impassable on Tuesday morning, Aug, 8, 2023.
A downed utility pole and a large tree at Schoolhouse Road and Old Lancaster Pike in Hockessin made the roadway impassable on Tuesday morning, Aug, 8, 2023.

Where are the power outages located in Delaware?

As of about 5:41 p.m., Delmarva Power reported a total of 442 active power outages and 7,599 customers affected across their Delaware and Maryland service areas. Of those, 333 outage areas involving 5,258 customers are in Delaware.

New Castle County took the brunt of the storm’s impact, with power outages concentrated in major hubs like Ogletown, Hockessin and Wilmington.

The company reported no outages in Kent County while 43 customers were impacted by one outage in Frankford in Sussex County.

When will the power be restored in my area?

An entire house on Fawn Road in Greenwood was torn away by the storm on April 1, 2023. Some trees were pulled out by the roots, and other homes were also damaged.
An entire house on Fawn Road in Greenwood was torn away by the storm on April 1, 2023. Some trees were pulled out by the roots, and other homes were also damaged.

The restoration time for each power outage varies.

After severe weather events, Delmarva Power crews assess affected areas before they start repairs and provide an estimated time for repairing the lines. This process may take several hours or days depending on the size of the storm, according to the company.

Some places like Ogletown noted that the power would be restored on Tuesday by 4 p.m. while others like Hockessin and Wilmington have a repair time of Thursday, Aug. 10, at noon, and Centreville has an estimated repair time of Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 6:30 a.m.

Some smaller outage sites, those with less than 50 outages, were still pending assessment at 11 a.m. Tuesday for when power would be restored, according to Delmarva Power.

To receive updates for your area, you can sign up online to receive communication from Delmarva Power that fits your preferences.

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Why does it take so long to restore the power after an outage?

Power lines hung in the street and broken trees dotted yards on Division Street in Dover after storms blew through the area on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.
Power lines hung in the street and broken trees dotted yards on Division Street in Dover after storms blew through the area on Tuesday, August 4, 2020.

Delmarva Power has a power outage protocol in place that dictates the order in which power outage needs are met.

Downed live wires or potentially life-threatening situations are handled first. If you see a downed wire, Delmarva Power advises you to leave the area immediately and call (800) 898-8042.

High-voltage transmission lines and equipment are then addressed to restore service to the largest number of affected customers.

Critical public health and safety facilities, such as hospitals, fire and police stations and water treatment plants are dealt with next, followed by major distribution lines and high-density housing.

The last part of the restoration process is handling any remaining smaller neighborhoods and individual homes that have not been restored by prior repair efforts.

Delaware power outage map

To see the latest updates on power outages in Delaware, click here.

Got a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at kgriffin@delawareonline.com 

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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware power outage map: See where power is out from Monday's storm