ATLANTA, Sept. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power has
restored power to more than 95 percent, or more than 960,000
customers, impacted by Hurricane Irma in just four days – 48 hours
ahead of schedule. More than 8,000 personnel were mobilized as part
of the company's restoration effort, including all of Georgia
Power's resources, as well as assistance from other Southern
Company operating companies and dozens of other companies and
assisting utilities. All personnel in the field are now solely
focused on restoring service to approximately 40,000 customers who
remain without power due to the storm.
"The destruction from Hurricane Irma was unprecedented across
Georgia, and throughout the
Southeast, and I'm extremely proud of and thankful for the work and
dedication of our teams to restore service to nearly all impacted
customers ahead of schedule," said Paul
Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. "Our
job is not finished until every customer is reconnected and we want
to thank the millions of customers who depend on us for electric
service every day for their patience during restoration. I also
want to personally thank our sister operating companies, as well as
all utility, public safety and governmental partners who worked
together over the past weeks to prepare for and recover from
Hurricane Irma."
Georgia Power monitored the path of Hurricane Irma for more than
a week prior to the storm entering Georgia. The hurricane
brought severe weather, including high winds, heavy rain and
flooding, to every corner of the state. All of Georgia Power's
resources were held in the state prior to the storm and remained in
Georgia to lead the company's
restoration effort. Restoration teams were widely distributed as
widespread damage was expected and faced challenging conditions for
days following Hurricane Irma including downed trees, blocked roads
and bridges that had to be inspected by the state after area
flooding.
Georgia Power estimates that damage from Hurricane Irma could
include:
- Nearly 1,500 broken or damaged power poles
- More than 6,000 spans of wire (or nearly 230
miles)
- Nearly 2,400 fallen trees
- Approximately 450 transformers damaged
Georgia Power customers who remain without power at this time
should continue to check the company's Outage Map at
outagemap.georgiapower.com for the latest estimated restoration
times (ERTs). The company will regularly update the Outage Map and
other customer notification resources during the remainder of the
Hurricane Irma restoration process with any changes in these
ERTs.
Customers in some of the hardest hits areas of Georgia may not be able reconnect to Georgia
Power service due to extensive damage. Georgia Power reminds
customers that the electrical service entry point on their home or
business, including the meter box and other components, must be
repaired before Georgia Power can reconnect service. The company
cannot, by law, connect power to a damaged meter box, or other
non-Georgia Power components, and property owners should contact a
qualified electrician to make repairs in order for the company to
reconnect service.
Customers are also encouraged to remain aware that that
dangerous conditions continue to exist across Georgia following Hurricane Irma. Never touch
any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or cable wires
that touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off power lines
yourself or enter areas with debris, downed trees or standing water
as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. If using a
generator, follow all manufacturers' connection and safety
instructions and shut the generator down before reconnecting to
Georgia Power service.
About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the
largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO),
America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer
Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's
promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four
of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean,
safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national
average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation
mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as
renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power
focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every
day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and
Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more
information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with
the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter
(Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram
(Instagram.com/ga_power).
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SOURCE Georgia Power