Photo by {ryan}.

If you’re a Pepco customer, you’ve probably gotten an automated phone call from the company at some point over the last 24 hours, letting you know that it’d probably be a wise idea to invest in a good flashlight and non-perishable food.

Just in case you didn’t feel like fielding a call from the “worst company in America,” here’s Pepco’s message to its customers:

With the approach of Hurricane Irene, Pepco is preparing for potential widespread power outages this weekend. The company has mobilized extensive internal and out-of-state resources to repair equipment and restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

Due to the magnitude of the storm, the company expects the restoration effort to extend over multiple days. Just as Pepco is preparing for Hurricane Irene, we strongly urge you to prepare for the possibility of power outages.

Pepco officials are estimating that things could start to get dicey on Saturday.

Look, it’s nice that Pepco is trying its damnedest to get the word out that a hurricane will likely have an effect on electricity service around the region. But, come on — given the utility’s reputation, is there anyone who looked at a weather forecast of high winds and didn’t assume on their own that they’d be without power for at least a little while this weekend?