ATLANTA, Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As Winter Storm Helena passed through Georgia overnight, it brought snow, ice and sub-freezing temperatures. Georgia Power was prepared to respond to service interruptions, restoring power to more than 50,000 customers following the storm. Outages have been primarily due to ice covered trees and limbs falling on power lines.

As of noon. Saturday, there are more than 400 individual cases of damage and approximately 8,000 customers without power statewide. High winds remain in some locations and may cause additional outages throughout the day.

Georgia Power personnel will continue to restore power for customers as quickly and safely as possible. The company reminds customers that dangerous conditions exist following a storm. Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off of power lines yourself or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage.

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. 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.

If you are without electric service due to Winter Storm Helena, Georgia Power offers the following outage tips:

• Disconnect or turn off appliances you were using when the power went off. Leave one light on to tell you when service is restored.
• Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers. Food will stay frozen in a fully loaded freezer for 36 to 48 hours if the door is closed. In a half-full freezer, food will keep 24 hours.
• Non-electric, unvented space heaters can be a hazard. Use them only in well-ventilated areas.
• If you use an electric generator, plug appliances directly into it. Never plug a generator directly into your home's electrical wiring.

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, 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).

SOURCE Georgia Power