Responding to requests for assistance from its sister company, Alabama Power, Savannah Electric has sent a 24-person storm team to assist in the restoration of power. The area is currently receiving damage from Hurricane Georges and power outages in the hundreds of thousands are already reported across a four-state area in the storm’s aftermath.

In addition, Savannah Electric has released its contracted labor force so that they may also participate in restorations. The Savannah Electric employees departed on the lengthy trip to the Alabama gulf coast Monday morning and will be assigned to a specific destination once they are closer to the storm damaged areas.

It is common practice among utilities to lend support under emergency conditions.

The Company asks for its customers’ patience while these crews are on emergency duty. Some routine line work could be delayed during their absence. Remaining personnel will be in place to respond to local outages or service problems. In the event that a larger emergency threatens Savannah Electric’s service territory, the loaned crews will be immediately recalled.

Savannah Electric serves 125,000 customers in a five-county area of Southeast Georgia including Chatham, Effingham, Bulloch, Bryan, and Screven. Savannah Electric is a subsidiary of Southern Company. Southern Company (NYSE: SO), the largest producer of electricity in the United States, is the parent firm of Alabama Power, Georgia Power, Gulf Power, Mississippi Power and Savannah Electric. Based in Atlanta, Southern Company, through its Southern Energy Inc. subsidiary, supplies electricity in 10 countries on four continents. Southern Company also provides energy-related marketing, trading and technical services, and Southern LINC wireless telecommunications.