10,000+ advance personnel deployed by Georgia Power to restore power Friday morning following Hurricane Helene

ATLANTA, Ga. – As Hurricane Helene clears Georgia, Georgia Power has deployed 10,000+ personnel who were assembled in advance of the storm to begin full-scale damage assessment and restoration. There has been significant damage statewide due to hurricane-force winds and heavy rain, coupled with ground that was previously saturated due to Wednesday’s “storm before the storm” that hit the state ahead of the historic hurricane.

The entire state of Georgia has been affected by the storm, with the hardest hit areas including Savannah, Augusta and Valdosta. As of 10 a.m., approximately 730,000 Georgia Power customers are impacted by Hurricane Helene. Crews are working now to assess damage in every region across the state and will be restoring power to customers as quickly as possible. Since the beginning of the storm, power has been restored to more than 120,000 customers by crews, and “smart grid” technology enabling remote restoration while storm conditions were still at their worst.

Damage assessment is an essential part of efficient restoration and marks the first phase of the restoration process once the storm has left impacted areas. Damage assessment teams enter the field and begin the restoration process as soon as conditions allow. These teams are followed by repair crews depending on the amount of damage and access to the area. As weather conditions improve, restoration efforts can accelerate, but extended outages are possible due to the size and severity of Hurricane Helene.

Georgia Power reminds customers that dangerous conditions exist following a storm, and to always heed the advice of local, state, and federal emergency authorities in storm-affected areas.

After the Storm Safety Tips:

• Watch for downed wires. Downed power lines may be hidden by 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.
• Protect electronics and appliances. Disconnect or turn off any appliances that will start automatically when power returns to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored.

The Power Restoration Process

Georgia Power’s goal is to work safely and efficiently to restore service to every affected customer as quickly as possible. Georgia Power restoration crews working to restore power for customers in Georgia’s southern and coastal regions continue to face heavy rainfall.

The first step in power restoration after a storm event is damage assessment, which occurs both remotely and in the field, and which customers may see in progress as weather conditions begin to allow. Once it is safe to do so, damage assessment teams will survey damaged areas to determine what tools, resources, and supplies are needed to restore power most efficiently to the largest amount of customers. Next, a restoration team will get to work to make the repairs based on this assessment.

For crews to work safely in bucket trucks and high positions, winds must be below 30 MPH. We are continuously monitoring these conditions as well as managing challenges like impassable roads due to flooding, downed trees, and debris.

Georgia Power continues to make investments in the state’s electric grid to minimize the duration and frequency of power outages. These investments include smart grid technology and automated systems that have helped the company restore service to tens of thousands of customers very quickly following Tropical Storm Debby by reenergizing lines remotely or rerouting power around damage where possible to minimize those affected.

The company is committed to keeping customers informed and offers a variety of tools, such as Outage Alerts and its mobile app. Additional resources available at GeorgiaPower.com/Storm include multiple tips and links to additional tools.

Tools You Can Use to Stay Connected & Informed

• Outage Alerts – Customers subscribed to our free Georgia Power Outage Alert service will receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Check that your contact number is up to date to receive the latest information.
• Outage & Storm Center – Available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can visit this site to check their contact information is updated to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also 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 site, 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 X (Twitter) – Follow @GeorgiaPower at www.X.com/GeorgiaPower for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.

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