By Brad Segall

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. (CBS) — The PECO operations center is in high gear as the Delaware Valley awaits the arrival of Hurricane Sandy and the expected power outages the storm is likely to bring.

PECO opened its “war room” four days ahead of the storm to begin planning for what forecasters say could be the worst storm to ever hit the Philadelphia area.

Computer screens are keeping track of power usage and outages that could affect the utility’s more than 1.6 million customers.

(Peco’s “war room,” monitoring the effects of Hurricane Sandy. Credit: Brad Segall)

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Peco director of communications Karen Muldoon Geus says 1,500 personnel are in the field, about half of them brought in from out of town.

“We’ve brought crews in from as far away as our sister utility, Comm Ed, in Chicago, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi.”

Her advice, if your power goes out, is don’t assume that Peco already knows. Call 1-800-841-4141 and report it.

And be patient.  With wind gusts expected at 70 miles per hour, she says they will likely have to wait until the storm subsides before dispatching crews to restore power.

Storm Preparation Tips From PECO