D.C. is fortunate that it escaped the worst of Sandy, and the damage the city did sustain has been relatively minor. And one familiar D.C. name has been receiving extra kudos for its help in preemptively managing the damage: Pepco.
Ah, what a difference a storm makes. Back in the summer, Pepco -- the DMV area's biggest power company -- came under fire for its slow restorations efforts Jun. 29 derecho, a storm during which 440,000 customers in the area lost power. Business Insider even rated Pepco the most hated company in America.
But now, after Sandy, Mayor Gray is lauding Pepco, saying he doesn’t know what the company could have done better. The Washington Post has a praise-filled story looking into how Pepco kept the lights on during Sandy.
Only about 23,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm, with 90 percent of those restored by Tuesday night.
Housing Complex also gave props to Pepco, saying that of all the nearby power companies, Pepco improved the most storm-to-storm.
But one person remained skeptical of all the love Pepco has been getting. Alan Suderman of Loose Lips asked , what could Pepco have done better? The answer: “Not been so crappy to begin with.”
So was Sandy just a stroke of luck for Pepco, or did the company actually make enough improvements to prevent widespread and long-term power outages in the area? Hopefully, we won’t have to find out for a long time.
IN OTHER NEWS:
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* The viral rise of D.C.'s horse-mask hurricane jogger.
* Social issues highlight gap between Kaine and Allen.
* Officials give early voting an extension since the storm forced closings.
* More big questions about Maryland gambling ballot question.
