About 5,700 Dominion Energy customers in Southeastern Virginia and North Carolina have lost power during Hurricane Florence, according to a press release from the utility.

Fourteen critical services, such as fire stations and water treatment facilities, were among those that lost power.  As of 6:30 a.m. Friday, power had been restored to 1,800 customers and 11 critical service facilities.

“Florence is a large storm with wind and rain extending far from the eye,” the press release stated. “The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority.”

More than 5,700 people were working to restore power. Those responding included crews from other utilities in 11 states as far away as Wisconsin, Ohio and Texas.

Florence brought rain, wind and flash flooding to areas that had already experienced high rainfall this season. There remains a risk for downed wires. Folks should always assume downed wires are energized and dangerous.

“Flooding may slow down the restoration process because it can make roads less accessible for crews traveling to make repairs. Safety is our top priority, and our crews will restore power as soon as it’s safely possible,” the press release stated. “We encourage customers to continue preparing for the possibility of power outages. We recognize the worst is yet to come, and we’re not taking this powerful storm for granted. Virginia and North Carolina remain in a governor-declared state of emergency.”

To report an outage, visit https://www.dominionenergy.com/outage-center/report-and-check-outages or call 1-866-DOM-HELP. The fastest way to report or track an outage is online using your phone or other mobile device.