Crime & Safety
Loudoun Public Safety: Stay Off Roads
As heavy snow continues to fall on Loudoun, the sheriff asks that residents to avoid driving if possible.
Many Loudoun County roads have become dangerous as the snowstorm sets in and public safety officials are advising people to stay off the roads if possible.
Anyone who must drive today should use extreme caution. Vehicles will likely not respond well to rapid stops. Those who do venture out should have a well-stocked winter driving kit.
More than 300 residents are without power and several traffic signals lost power or were malfunctioning earlier today. Motorists are reminded that when approaching an intersection where no law enforcement is present and the traffic signals are off due to power failure, that intersection must be treated as a four-way stop. Please be patient as widespread power outages are expected for our region and the winter weather may hinder utility crews from restoring power until conditions improve.
When dealing with downed trees and post-storm debris, residents are reminded to stay away from downed wires as they may be live with electricity. If you see a downed line, report it immediately.
Also, make sure to report power outages. For Dominion Virginia Power, call 1-866-366-4357. Dominion also provides updates through Facebook and Twitter. To report NOVEC power outages, call 1-888-335-0500. Make sure NOVEC has your current phone number. The correct number will expedite outage reporting and power restoration. If you use a cell phone, call 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500 to associate your number with your account. Please be aware that bucket trucks are unable to operate in high winds, and this might delay crews working to fix any outages. For Washington Gas, call 1-800-543-8911. For Columbia Gas, call 1-800-543-8911.
Other phone numbers you need to know:
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- 2-1-1 Virginia is serving as the public inquiry number for Virginia residents.
- 5-1-1 is to be used for the latest in road conditions.
- Call #77 on a cell phone to report a traffic crash or traffic emergency
- Only call 9-1-1 in a true emergency. For non-emergency situations in Loudoun County, call 703-777-1021.
Links to more information, including road closures and road conditions in Loudoun County, is online at www.loudoun.gov/winter.
In addition to the Loudoun County website, residents may also receive information by signing up for alerts from the county through Alert Loudoun www.loudoun.gov/alert; following Loudoun County on Twitter at www.loudoun.gov/twitter; and on Facebook at www.loudoun.gov/facebook.
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Get the latest snow-related information on Patch.
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