If Irene leaves you in the dark, you can report the outage to Pepco via phone, website, and even a smart phone app.

The utility is warning customers of the possibility of multi-day outages due to Hurricane Irene, and is urging residents to be prepared.

Pepco says they are ready for the storm– they’ve organized more than 1,000 field personnel including crews from as far away as Texas and Louisiana, according to a statement.

“Restoring power in the wake of Hurricane Irene will be an all hands event for Pepco,” said Pepco Region president Thomas Graham, in a statement. “Our first task will be to assess the damage so we can restore power as effectively and safely as possible. Once the expected tropical force winds have subsided, utility crews will hit the streets and begin the assessment and restoration process. We’re ready for the event.” 

Keep up to date on outages in the Washington Metro area via Pepco's online StormCenter map.

To report an outage, call 1-877-PEPCO-62 and press 1. You can also report outages via Pepco’s website or via the Pepco Self-Service free app for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, Blackberry or Android.

Be sure to keep your phone, smart or otherwise, fully charged. If you have an iPhone, you may want to follow these handy tips to prolong the battery life.

To report a downed wire, call 1-877-PEPCO-62 and press 2. Do not go near a downed wire.

Montgomery County will also open a shelter at 4 p.m. Saturday at Richard Montgomery High School at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville. No pets will be allowed at Richard Montgomery, but a pet shelter will also be opened at 4p.m. at Bauer Drive Community Center at 14625 Bauer Drive in Rockville.

Stay up to date with weather conditions in Montgomery County via our Patch live blog, and visit our Hurricane Irene Facebook page for updates on how the storm is panning out across Maryland.