ATLANTA, Sept. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today regional estimated restoration times (ERTs) for all areas of the state following Hurricane Irma. The hurricane, one of the strongest and largest storms to strike Georgia in decades, brought high winds, heavy rain and flooding to every county in the state and impacted service to nearly 1 million Georgia Power customers.

As of Thursday morning, Georgia Power has restored power to 830,000 customers, with 155,000 customers remaining to be restored. Nearly 8,000 personnel are now engaged in Georgia Power's statewide restoration effort and the company's statewide restoration efforts are advancing ahead of schedule. Georgia Power now estimates that 95 percent of all customers impacted by Hurricane Irma, who can accept power, will have power restored by Saturday night – approximately 24 hours ahead of schedule.

Detailed ERTs for dozens of cities are available at outagemap.georgiapower.com, with 95 percent of customers in the following cities expected to be restored today or in coming days.

• Athens – Sept. 14, 10 p.m.
• Atlanta – Sept. 15, 10 p.m.
• Augusta – Sept. 16, Noon
• Macon – Sept.16, 10 p.m.
• Savannah/Brunswick – Sept. 16, 10 p.m.
• Valdosta – Sept. 16, 10 p.m.

The company will regularly update the Outage Map and other customer notification resources during the remainder of the Hurricane Irma restoration process with any changes in these ERTs.

The company continues to encourage customers to keep safety in mind throughout the restoration process:  

• 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.

Teams in the Field
Georgia Power monitored the path of Hurricane Irma for more than a week prior to the storm entering Georgia.  All of Georgia Power's resources were held in the state prior to the storm and have remained in Georgia to lead the company's restoration effort. The company continues to marshal its resources to restore customers as quickly and safely as possible with staging areas in all affected parts of the state. Restoration teams continue to face challenges including downed trees, blocked roads and bridges that had to be inspected by the state following flooding.

As Georgia Power completes its restoration efforts, it will continue to work with and offer assistance to other utility providers, such as cities and EMCs, which may require additional resources for local power restoration.  

When severe weather strikes, Georgia Power has access to additional resources available as part of the Southern Company system, which includes multiple electric and gas companies serving more than 9 million customers nationwide. Additionally, Georgia Power is part of a national mutual assistance network consisting of dozens of utilities from around the country, and the company is able to tap into reinforcements when needed to restore power to Georgia customers following a storm. While the company has contacted and requested aid through the mutual assistance network, resources have been assigned to harder-hit areas in Florida first before travelling to Georgia. 

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.
• 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, 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), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

SOURCE Georgia Power