Georgia Power restores power to 440,000+ customers following Hurricane Helene
~540,000 customers remain impacted Saturday morning as crews navigate treacherous conditions to repair damage; potential additional outages possible due to saturated ground and weakened trees ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power's response to Hurricane Helene continues Saturday as the company marked the start of the first full day of restoration efforts. Since the beginning of the storm, Georgia Power has restored power to 440,000+ customers through the implementation of new "smart grid" technologies and the quick work of pre-positioned teams who were ready to respond as soon as conditions were safe to do so. Unfortunately, treacherous conditions remain across the state with crews navigating extensive tree damage, persisting flooding conditions and many road closures. As of Saturday mid-morning, approximately 540,000 customers remained impacted by Hurricane Helene. The company is also managing the potential for additional power outages that could occur due to the saturated ground and weakened trees. The company continues to utilize additional resources from outside of its system and currently has 14,000+ personnel engaged in response, including support from Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and dozens of other companies. The response force currently engaged is larger than the company's response to other major hurricanes including Michael, Irma and Zeta. Based on ongoing damage assessment, Georgia Power estimates that there are thousands of broken power poles that must be replaced, as well as many miles of down power lines, across the state. Damage assessment is an essential initial step of efficient restoration and helps the company identify where resources are best utilized to return power to customers quickly. Damage assessment teams enter the field and begin the restoration process as soon as conditions allow. Given the inaccessibility of these areas, many teams are utilizing drones and other technology to patrol damaged lines. These damage assessment teams are then followed by repair crews. The company appreciates the importance of accurate information for customers as they make plans for their families and is committed to publishing up to date information throughout the remainder of the restoration process. Friday afternoon, just hours after the end of the storm in Georgia, the company published estimated restoration times (ERTs) for multiple communities (read more). Additional evaluation is underway across southern, coastal and eastern Georgia, where communities experienced hurricane force winds leading to extensive damage. New ERTs will be posted to the company's Outage Map as they are available. Preparation, Industry Support Key to Response Georgia Power is also a member of a nationwide mutual assistance network, which consists of hundreds of utilities from around the country. Georgia Power has proactively mobilized crews from over 35 companies from states as far away as Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The company continues to acquire additional off-system resources to aid in response. As always, the company encourages customers to keep safety first following Hurricane Helene:
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About Georgia Power SOURCE Georgia Power For further information: Media Contact: Georgia Power Media Relations, (404) 506-7676 or (800) 282-1696, www.georgiapower.com
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