In the wake of Hurricane Ivan’s rampage, Georgia Power crews worked throughout the night Thursday – restoring service to 100,000 customers in the night – and fresh line personnel replaced them first thing Friday morning.

Ivan knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of Georgia Power customers. As of 7 a.m. Friday, about 210,000 Georgia Power customers remained without power.

“We worked through the night, but the conditions were horrible,” said Warren Conoly, general manager of distribution operations for Georgia Power. “Over the past 24 hours, we have actually restored service to more than 400,000 customers, but Ivan kept hammering away. As we got customers back on yesterday, others went off.”

“We have 4,000 Georgia Power people working,” said Mike Garrett, Georgia Power president and CEO. “I believe they are the best in the business. Just last week, in a 48-hour period, our employees restored service to 380,000 of the 400,000 customers knocked out by Hurricane Frances, and we expect them to make significant progress in the next few days as well.”

Conoly and his staff have monitored the company’s restoration efforts from the company’s storm command center in Atlanta, where crews and support personnel are tracked and dispatched throughout the state. The center was activated Aug. 9 for Hurricane Charley and then Frances, and it hasn’t shut down yet. “As one hurricane moved out, another moved in, so we ordered more materials, and got ready for the next one,” Conoly said.

Georgia Power will restore power to its customers first before assisting other utilities. Besides committing thousands of its employees to storm restoration duty, Georgia Power has requested the assistance of line crews from other utilities as well as contract line crews from throughout the eastern United States.

In the event of major power outages, Georgia Power’s first priority is to restore electricity to emergency agencies, such as police, fire departments and hospitals. The next priority is to restore power to as many customers as possible with each repair.

If the weather interrupts electrical service, customers may report the outage by calling Georgia Power’s Customer Care Center at 1-888-891-0938. This line is answered by an automated system designed to handle power outage calls; however, customers also may talk directly with a customer service representative. The most efficient way for customers to report outages is to leave all information on this automated system. If you’re able to access Georgia Power’s Web site, you can also report your outage at www.georgiapower.com. (Customers have requested this service in the past few years.)

Here are some safety tips for customers to follow when severe weather hits:

• Residents who have a life-threatening medical emergency should call 911.

• Always avoid downed power lines. Any downed line should be considered energized and therefore dangerous. Report downed lines immediately to local public safety authorities and stay out of the immediate area.

• Avoid debris lying on the ground or fallen trees that may conceal downed power lines; make sure there are no downed lines before allowing children out to play.

• Steer clear of Georgia Power crew work areas. Equipment and energized lines may be in the area and could create a safety hazard.

• When driving, watch for crews working, and obey all traffic signs and directions around work areas.

• If possible, when leaving your home and power is off, turn off the main breaker as a precaution to avoid a power surge once the power is restored.

• Don’t attempt to make repairs to Georgia Power’s electrical system or pull limbs off lines as these limbs may contain downed power lines that are still energized and dangerous. Georgia Power will cut tree limbs off power lines. However, homeowners are responsible for trees that hit houses but not power lines.

• Do not connect portable generators to your household electrical wiring. This can cause serious injury to you and Georgia Power crews working on lines in your neighborhood. Connect only essential appliances -- such as freezers and refrigerators – directly to the generator.

• Customers should use extreme caution if using candles during a power outage. Always keep candles away from flammable objects, and never leave them burning unattended.