ATLANTA, Oct. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today that it expects to have service restored to more than 90 percent of customers impacted by Hurricane Matthew, who can accept power, by midnight Wednesday. The hurricane, which pounded the Georgia coast with winds of more than 100 miles per hour and extensive flooding over the weekend, was the strongest storm to hit the region in a century and interrupted service to more than 340,000 customers.

The company has issued the following update on Hurricane Matthew restoration efforts as of 3 p.m. Monday:

• The company has already restored power to 100 percent of impacted customers who can accept power in Kingsland and expects to have power restored for nearly 100 percent of impacted customers who can accept power in Statesboro by Monday night with Brunswick, St. Simons and Jekyll Islands following on Tuesday.
• Georgia Power was prepared to respond to damage caused by Hurricane Matthew with approximately 5,000 personnel from Georgia Power and assisting utilities working around the clock over the weekend.
• Power has been restored to more than 218,000 customers; approximately 122,000 customers are without power in Coastal Georgia.
• Damage and power outages are concentrated in Coastal Georgia, including Chatham, Glynn, Effingham, Bulloch and Liberty Counties.

"With the evacuation order lifted, we are working closely with the state and local law enforcement to expedite our travel in the area. We encourage people to limit driving on local roads as much as possible to allow our crews to move from site to site as quickly and safely as possible," said Aaron Strickland, Georgia Power Emergency Operations Director. "Our crews continue to report very hazardous conditions, including fallen trees and sustained flooding, and we ask residents to keep safety in mind as they begin returning to the area."  

Georgia Power estimates that damage from Hurricane Matthew could include:

• Approximately 1,000 power poles broken or damaged.
• Nearly 80 miles of wire (2,000 spans) needing to be replaced.
• More than 1,800 fallen trees causing damage to electrical equipment. 

The company estimates that thousands of customers in some of the hardest hits areas of the coast may not be able to reconnect to Georgia Power service due to extensive damage. Property owners should contact a qualified electrician to make repairs to private property prior to reconnecting to service.

As part of Southern Company, as well as a national mutual assistance network, Georgia Power is able to receive assistance from other utilities not impacted by the storm to aid in restoration efforts. Utilities from other states, including Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, are currently in Georgia working alongside Georgia Power crews to restore service for customers.  

Georgia Power reminds customers that dangerous conditions exist following a storm. 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.

The company also offers the following tools you can use to stay informed during restoration efforts:

• 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. The company is also posting regular updates with localized estimated restoration times on the Outage Map.
• 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.

About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest 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, 21st century 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) and Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower).

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SOURCE Georgia Power