ATLANTA – Hurricane Helene is expected to make landfall in Florida Thursday, and Georgia Power is making its final preparations to respond to anticipated widespread damage and potential for extended power outages across the state.
As the majority of the state of Georgia prepares to feel impacts from the storm, the company has aligned the right resources – more than 10,000 personnel on the ground currently – and continues to refine plans as the storm gets closer to ensure a safe and effective response, according to a news release from Georgia Power Co.
The National Hurricane Center forecasts high winds, heavy rainfall, flash flooding and possible tornadoes as Hurricane Helene enters the state. This follows the “storm before the storm” – including heavy rains over the last 24 hours which has already caused flooding and weakened trees.
“Helene is a very large storm, moving into South Georgia with very little time to substantially weaken, and we expect the high winds and heavy rain to cause significant damage in many of our communities,” said Kim Greene, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “Our teams are well trained and experienced, and we’ve been watching this storm and making every preparation throughout the week. As conditions are safe, our teams will be in the field working to restore power as quickly possible. Even so, we encourage customers to keep safety first in the coming days and prepare for the potential of power outages that could last multiple days due to the size and extensive reach of this storm.”
Support from Across the Industry
As part of its preparations, Georgia Power has mobilized additional staff – including from sister company Mississippi Power – to respond to Hurricane Helene, the news release continued. Mobilized crews across the state have pre-positioned restoration workers, equipment and supplies near areas of anticipated impact including extra transformers, poles, cable and other equipment. All of this helps the company to restore power more quickly and efficiently for its customers as soon as weather conditions allow.
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 11 states as far away as Texas, Oklahoma, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. These crews will deploy from strategic locations across the state to begin restoring power as soon as it is safe to do so following the storm.
Focused on Reliability Every Day
Georgia Power is always focused on improving reliability and adding resiliency to the power grid. In recent years, Georgia Power invested heavily in infrastructure improvements to bolster resiliency through equipment upgrades as well as the strategic implementation of Smart Grid technology that enhance the company’s real-time ability to identify and quickly isolate outages that occur, as well as reroute power remotely around damage, the hews release said. This technology helps minimize the number of customers affected even before crews begin repair work in the field.
Tools You Can Use to Stay Connected & Informed
Hurricanes have the potential to cause widespread power outages and dangerous conditions. Emergency plans should be finalized, including a way to stay informed before, during and after the hurricane. It’s important to follow the advice of federal, state and local authorities, especially for people living in low-lying areas as flooding and heavy rain are expected.
- Outage Alerts – Customers subscribed to our free Georgia Power Outage Alert service will receive personalized notifications and updates via text message. Check that your contact number is up to date to receive the latest information.
- Outage & Storm Center – Available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can visit this site to check their contact information is updated to receive Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also 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 site, 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 X (Twitter) – Follow @GeorgiaPower at www.X.com/GeorgiaPower for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.
Before, During and After a Storm Safety Tips
- Before a Storm: Stay aware, heed advice from officials, and check the weather forecast before heading outdoors. Check your emergency kit and family plan. Unplug major appliances and charge cell phones and battery backups in case you lose power.
- During a Storm: Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with conductors of electricity – appliances, metal objects, and water.
- After a Storm: Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire – including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off of power lines yourself or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. Customers should call 911 or Georgia Power immediately if they see a fallen or low-hanging power line.
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