ATLANTA, Dec. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Throughout the day
today, Georgia Power has largely completed restoration efforts
following this weekend's winter weather. Crews have worked around
the clock in difficult conditions, including snow, freezing rain
and ice since the storm hit, restoring power to hundreds of
thousands of customers since Friday. Teams will remain engaged in
restoration and repair work in the field until all customers, who
can accept power, are reconnected.
Customers in some of the hardest hits areas of North 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.
Restoration Update
- Since noon Friday, restoration crews have been in field
and have safely restored power to approximately 365,000
customers.
- As of 7:30 p.m. Sunday,
approximately 13,000 customers are without power statewide
according to Georgia Power's Online Outage Map. Local estimated
restoration times (ERTs) customers are available on the Outage Map
and the company will regularly update the Outage Map and other
customer notification resources during the remainder of the
restoration process with any changes in these ERTs.
- Approximately 1,200 individual cases of damage or
trouble (including broken poles and lines) the company is
working to repair.
Georgia Power reminds customers to keep safety first during
severe winter weather and offers multiple tools and resources to
stay connected and informed.
After the Storm Safety Tips
- Watch for downed wires. Downed power lines may be hidden
by snow, debris or fallen trees.
- Never touch any downed wire or attempt to remove tree
branches from power lines – it can kill.
- Don't step in standing water or saturated ground where
downed lines may be present. They could be electrified.
- Avoid chain link fences. They may be electrified by a
downed line out of sight and conduct electricity over great
distances.
- Watch for Georgia Power crews working across the state.
If driving, move over one lane for utility vehicles stopped on the
side of the road - it's the law in Georgia.
Tools You Can Use
- Outage Alerts – Subscribe to the free Georgia Power
Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and
updates via text message.
- Outage & Storm Center – Available at
www.georgiapower.com/storm, customers can visit this site to sign
up for Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and
access useful safety tips and information. Customers can report and
check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia
Power at 888-891-0938.
- Outage Map – Housed within the Outage & Storm
Center, Georgia Power's interactive Outage Map provides near
real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are
occurring across the state and track estimated restoration
times.
- Georgia Power Mobile App – Download the Georgia Power
mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage
information on the go.
- @GeorgiaPower on Twitter – Follow @GeorgiaPower on
Twitter for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and
more.
- Winter Weather Prep Videos – Check out a series of
informational videos on winter weather preparation
at GeorgiaPower.com/WinterPrep.
When severe weather strikes, Georgia Power has access to
additional resources available as part of the Southern Company
system, which includes multiple electric and gas companies serving
more than 9 million customers nationwide. Additionally, Georgia
Power is part of a national mutual assistance network consisting of
dozens of utilities from around the country, and the company is
able to tap into reinforcements when needed to restore power to
Georgia customers following a
storm.
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