Georgia Power restores power to 98+ percent of customers impacted by Winter Storm Helena

Company restores service to 67,000 customers in less than 24 hours, nearly all customers to be restored by 10 p.m. tonight

ATLANTA, Jan. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power has restored service to more than 67,000 customers, or more than 98 percent of all customers, impacted by Winter Storm Helena. The company was prepared for the storm and responded quickly and safely overnight with more than 1,200 personnel working to restore service and repair damage from ice covered trees and limbs falling on power lines.

A Georgia Power lineman works in icy conditions to restore power following Winter Storm Helena.

As of 7 p.m. Saturday, there were approximately 100 individual cases of damage remaining and 1,500 customers without power statewide. Nearly half of the customers currently without power lost power after the storm as high winds and icy conditions continued to cause power outages throughout the day. The company estimates that nearly all customers currently impacted who can take service will have service restored by 10 p.m. tonight.

Georgia Power 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.

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).

As of Saturday evening, Georgia Power has restored power to more than 98 percent of customers impacted by Winter Storm Helena. Workers worked in sub-freezing conditions to repair damage from ice covered trees and limbs falling on power lines.

SOURCE Georgia Power

For further information: Georgia Power Media Relations, (404) 506-7676 or (800) 282-1696, www.georgiapower.com