Firm posts estimated restoration occasions for extra communities throughout the state following probably the most damaging hurricane in its historical past

ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As of Saturday night, Georgia Energy has restored energy to 520,000+ clients following the devasting affect of Hurricane Helene. This fast response has been potential by the implementation of latest “smart grid” applied sciences and the short work of pre-positioned groups who had been prepared to reply as quickly as situations had been protected to take action on Friday.

Crews proceed to navigate treacherous situations together with intensive tree harm, persisting flooding situations and lots of street closures. As the primary full day of restoration progressed at this time, the corporate decided that Hurricane Helene was probably the most damaging hurricane in its historical past damaging infrastructure throughout the state. Moreover, there’s the potential for extra harm and energy outages that would happen as a result of saturated floor and weakened bushes.

Friday afternoon, simply hours after the top of the storm in Georgia, the corporate revealed estimated restoration occasions (ERTs) for a number of communities (learn extra). On Saturday, as harm evaluation actions supplied invaluable perception into harm and sources wanted, the corporate posted new ERTs for extra communities throughout the state together with Athens, Augusta, Brunswick (NYSE:), Clayton, Cornelia, Dublin, Gainesville, Hartwell, Hinesville, Macon, Madison, Milledgeville, Savannah, Springfield, Statesboro, Thomson, Tifton, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross and Waynesboro. ERTs symbolize the corporate’s expectation for 95% energy restoration within the specified space. As the corporate anticipated and introduced earlier than the arrival of the storm, restoration efforts will take a number of days into subsequent week. The most recent ERTs for these areas, and others, can be found on the corporate’s Outage Map.

Georgia Energy appreciates the significance of correct info for patrons as they make plans for his or her households following this historic storm. The corporate is dedicated to publishing up thus far info all through the rest of the restoration course of and can make each effort to return energy to clients ahead of anticipated. Clients are inspired to examine the Outage Map usually for the newest info and never depend on probably inaccurate particulars they might see from non-company sources.

The corporate continues to make the most of further sources from exterior of its system and at the moment has 14,000+ personnel engaged in response, together with help from Alabama Energy, Mississippi Energy and dozens of different firms. The response power at the moment engaged is bigger than the corporate’s response to different main hurricanes together with Michael, Irma and Zeta.

Preparation, Trade Assist Key to Response

Georgia Energy monitored the trail of Hurricane Helene for greater than per week previous to the storm getting into Georgia. As a part of its preparations, Georgia Energy mobilized further workers from throughout the trade to answer Hurricane Helene. Mobilized crews throughout the state pre-positioned restoration employees, tools, and provides close to areas of anticipated affect together with additional transformers, poles, cable and different tools. All that is a part of advance planning and technique to permit the corporate to revive energy extra rapidly and effectively for its clients as quickly as climate situations enable.

Georgia Energy can also be a member of a nationwide mutual help community, which consists of a whole bunch of utilities from across the nation. Georgia Energy has proactively mobilized crews from over 35 firms from states as far-off as Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The corporate continues to amass further off-system sources to help in response.

As all the time, the corporate encourages clients to maintain security first following Hurricane Helene:

• Look ahead to Georgia Energy crews working throughout the state. If driving, transfer over one lane for utility autos stopped on the facet of the street “ it is the legislation in Georgia.
• Look ahead to downed wires. Downed energy traces could also be hidden by particles or fallen bushes.
• By no means contact any downed wire or try and take away tree branches from energy traces “ it could kill.
• Do not step in standing water or saturated floor the place downed traces could also be current. They might be electrified.
• Keep away from chain hyperlink fences. They might be electrified by a downed line out of sight and conduct electrical energy over nice distances.
• By no means try repairs to electrical service connections. Clients also needs to notice that if their dwelling, together with the meter field or mast/connection level, is severely broken by the storm repairs might must be made by an electrician earlier than Georgia Energy can reconnect energy.

Instruments You Can Use to Keep Related & Knowledgeable

• Outage Alerts “ Clients subscribed to our free Georgia Energy Outage Alert service will obtain personalised notifications and updates by way of textual content message. Verify that your contact quantity is up thus far to obtain the newest info.
• Outage & Storm Heart “ Obtainable at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, clients can go to this website to examine their contact info is up to date to obtain Outage Alerts, report and examine the standing of outages, and entry helpful security ideas and knowledge. Clients also can report and examine the standing of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Energy at 888-891-0938.
• Outage Map “ Housed throughout the Outage & Storm Heart, Georgia Energy’s interactive Outage Map offers close to real-time info, permitting customers to see the place outages are occurring throughout the state and monitor estimated restoration occasions.
• Georgia Energy Cellular App “ Obtain the Georgia Energy cell app for Apple (NASDAQ:) and Android gadgets to entry storm and outage info on the go.
• @GeorgiaPower on X (Twitter) “ Observe @GeorgiaPower on X for storm ideas, outage updates, customer support and extra.

About Georgia Energy

Georgia Energy is the most important electrical subsidiary of Southern Firm (NYSE: NYSE:), America’s premier vitality firm. Worth, Reliability, Buyer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the corporate’s promise to 2.7 million clients in all however 4 of Georgia’s 159 counties. Dedicated to delivering clear, protected, dependable and reasonably priced vitality, Georgia Energy maintains a various, modern technology combine that features nuclear, coal and , in addition to renewables similar to photo voltaic, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Energy focuses on delivering world-class service to its clients day by day and the corporate is acknowledged by J.D. Energy as an trade chief in buyer satisfaction. For extra info, go to www.GeorgiaPower.com and join with the corporate on Fb (NASDAQ:) (Fb.com/GeorgiaPower), X (X.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).