ATLANTA, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power announced today regional estimated restoration times (ERTs) following Hurricane Michael. As of Thursday evening, Georgia Power has restored power to 255,000 customers, with the more than 4,800 personnel and crews working around the clock.

The ERT for customers who are able to receive electric service in the following areas are expected to be restored by these projected times:  

• Bainbridge area by Tuesday, Oct. 16 by 8 PM
• Albany area by Monday, Oct. 15 by 8 PM
• Americus area by Sunday, Oct. 14 by 10 PM
• Macon and Central Georgia area by Sunday, Oct. 14 by 10 PM
• Columbus and West Georgia area by Saturday, Oct. 13 by 5 PM
• Augusta area by Friday, Oct. 12 by midnight
• Savannah and Coastal area by Friday, Oct. 12 by midnight

(See attached map for the path of the storm, the damages and resulting outages.)

While damage assessment began at daybreak, teams faced challenging conditions such as downed trees and impassible roads that require clearing to continue work. Georgia Power is working with Georgia Emergency Management Agency and local governments to open up access to allow our crews to begin restoration efforts in the hardest hit areas.

Restoration progress since the beginning of the storm has been largely possible thanks to Georgia's advanced electric system, which allows the company to reroute and restore power even when weather conditions prevent work in the field, as well as early work of crews.

Georgia Power continuously monitored the path of Hurricane Michael prior to the storm entering Georgia. To complete restoration as quickly and safely as possible, the company has mobilized approximately 4,800 personnel from Georgia Power, other Southern Company operating companies and assisting utilities. All of Georgia Power's resources are being held and dedicated to storm restoration efforts in the state following Hurricane Michael and the company continues to work to procure additional resources as they become available.

The company encourages customers to keep safety first following Hurricane Michael: 

• 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.

Damage Update – As of 8 p.m. Thursday 

• There are approximately 95,000 Georgia Power customers currently without power.
• More than 2,095 cases of individual damage or trouble (including broken poles and lines) the company is working to repair.
• Damage and outages are widespread across Central and South Georgia with the hurricane impacting service to customers around Albany, Americus, Bainbridge, Macon, Valdosta, Vidalia and beyond.

Teams in the Field
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 approximately 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.

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.

Georgia Power Family Services
To help its employees focus on safely restoring power for customers and relieve concerns about their own families, Georgia Power has also activated its Family Services volunteers, who are preparing to deploy to areas impacted by Hurricane Michael in anticipation of employee assistance requests. Family Services is supported by employee volunteers who are not involved with storm restoration.

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