Preparation Efforts for Hurricane Ian

With Hurricane Ian expected to reach southern Virginia by this evening, we wanted you to know that Comcast is prepared – our technical operations team is at the ready across the region, we’ve stocked our trucks with drops (connections from homes to poles) and are positioning equipment like generators in strategic locations where very high wind gusts are predicted.

During inclement weather especially, we continuously monitor our network for potential issues, so we can address them as quickly and safely as possible.

What happens if there are commercial power outages?

If your power goes out, your local utility provider must restore power before our technicians can start repairs. We coordinate closely with power companies so that, when power has been restored, our field technicians can start work as quickly as possible when it’s safe to do so. We are committed to getting you up and running as soon as possible.

In some cases, you may have power back but not your Xfinity or Comcast Business services because commercial power has not been restored to our network in that area.

If you have electricity but not Xfinity or Comcast Business services, we recommend restarting or resetting devices, including wireless gateways, modems, routers and cable boxes.

Here’s how Xfinity customers can make sure they stay connected during unpredictable weather events:

Start by downloading Xfinity’s free mobile apps:

• Xfinity My Account — Get updates on outages and report service interruptions.
• Xfinity Stream — View live TV, get weather updates, and download shows and movies beforehand to watch offline in case you lose power.
• Xfinity WiFi Hotspots — Xfinity Internet customers can access millions of Xfinity WiFi hotspots available nationwide. For a map of public Xfinity WiFi hotspots, which are located both indoor and outdoors in places such as shopping districts, parks, and businesses, visit Xfinity.com/wifi.

If the weather becomes severe enough, Comcast may send text alerts to customers with information about service interruptions or with tips for restoring their services. Customers can log in to My Account to make sure their mobile phone numbers are added.

For more information, Xfinity customers can chat online with an agent, visit Xfinity.com/response or connect with Comcast on Twitter at @xfinitysupport.

Additional tips and safety precautions:

• Customers should plug TV’s, modems, and cable boxes into a surge protector to protect them from damage in case of lightning or a sudden power outage.
• Customers should always stay clear of downed power and cable lines in the interest of safety.
• Forward a home phone number to a mobile phone number so that customers can receive emergency calls even if they are not home.

Tips for Comcast Business customers:

• Download the Comcast Business App and enable ‘Be Anywhere’ to allow another device to make calls with a business’s Caller ID.
• Enable call forwarding so business calls can be received on mobile devices.
• Check that the battery backup is working so voice services will still be available during a power outage.
• Make sure Connection Pro services are set up correctly. The automatic wireless backup feature will help devices stay up and running.
• Sign in to the Service Status Center to check connection status, sign up for text alerts, get troubleshooting tips and learn more about how to keep their business connected during an outage.

Comcast is committed to helping our residential and business customers stay connected to what’s most important to them — this hurricane season, and all year round.