West Virginia utility responds to the storm of the century

摘要

No one at West Virginia American Water (WVAW) had ever heard the term "derecho" before last summer; but on the evening of June 29, 2012, a 600-mile wide superstorm devastated the state of West Virginia and presented WVAW with probably the biggest test of disaster preparedness and emergency response in its 126-year existence. High winds and lightning strikes tore off roofs, toppled trees, and knocked out power to more than 4 million people in 10 states. The storm left 672,000 homes and businesses in West Virginia (more than half of the state) without power-some for as long as two weeks. All but two of the state's 55 counties sustained some storm damage or power outages, causing the governor to declare a state of emergency.