Verizon Makes Significant Progress in Mid-Atlantic Storm Restoral Efforts

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon has made substantial progress in restoring wireline service to customers following the fast-moving and highly destructive system of thunderstorms that struck the Mid-Atlantic region on June 29, as well as several storms since then.

After Verizon technicians worked extended shifts throughout the weekend, the company's service levels are nearly back to normal in most of the Washington metropolitan area.  Company technicians now are focusing on service restoral for several hundred customers in areas technicians could not previously reach due to downed power lines. 

In addition, Verizon crews on Monday (July 9) are assessing and repairing damage from the latest severe weather that passed through the area Sunday (July 8), including a possible tornado in the Fredericksburg area that downed an estimated 20 utility poles.  And the company continues restoral efforts for customers in western Virginia, which was hit by a series of severe storms following the June 29 storms.  (NOTE: For video of Verizon crews restoring service in northern Virginia on July 4, click on http://youtu.be/6ELjtEiDIco.)

"We continue to see strong improvement in the number of repairs we have completed versus the number of incoming repair reports," said Chris Childs, Verizon's Potomac region president of consumer and mass-business markets.  "I'm extremely proud of our team, which has worked 12 hours-plus daily in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees to bring service back for our customers.  And I'm extremely grateful to our customers, who have been overwhelmingly gracious, patient and understanding throughout this process.

"We will keep going until we've fully restored service for all those affected by this harsh weather," said Childs. 

To restore service, Verizon technicians have worked extended shifts, and the company has sent technicians from less-affected parts of the region to the hardest-hit areas.  As of this morning (July 9), field forces are responding to 163 downed utility poles and 602 downed copper or fiber cables in Virginia, Maryland and D.C.

Customers who have a Verizon service issue should call 800-VERIZON (800-837-4966) or visit www.verizon.com/support.

Verizon mobilized several assets to help residents in the hardest hit areas last week.  The company set up mobile shelters in the Virginia communities of Lynchburg and Max Meadow to offer assistance to residents without power.  The air conditioned tents, with room for 12 people, included satellite phone service, laptops with Internet access and charging stations for wireless devices.  

In addition, the company deployed a 53-foot mobile command center trailer truck in Alexandria for several days.  The mobile command center vehicle, which offered similar services as the mobile shelters, was also deployed in Virginia and several other locations along the East Coast to help citizens and local governments during Hurricane Irene last summer.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with 93 million retail customers nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 192,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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SOURCE Verizon