Georgia Power restores service to 200,000+ impacted customers after severe winter weather crosses state

ATLANTA – Georgia Power has restored power to more than 200,000 customers impacted by high winds and saturated ground after storms crossed the state overnight. As of 5:30 p.m. Jan. 3, Georgia Power was working to restore power to approximately 12,000 customers who remain without power due to extensive damage from the storm. Georgia Power has crews in the field tonight working to complete restoration as quickly as safely as possible to all customers who are able to receive power (some customers may have damage to their homes or businesses that prevent reconnection).

While gusty conditions continued through the day, Georgia Power restoration crews began making repairs and restoring power for customers as soon as weather conditions were safe early this morning. Most customers who experienced an outage felt the impact of the severe weather system early Monday and by late afternoon had service restored.

The company has invested in infrastructure to shorten outage and repair time as well as increase the day-to-day reliability of its system. The use of Smart Grid technology and increased automation in recent years allows Georgia Power to more quickly isolate outages that do occur to smaller numbers of customers and reroute power remotely for improved reliability, authorities said.

Customers are encouraged to remain vigilant, stay weather aware and keep safety in mind as dangerous conditions can exist following storms. The company has developed a series of storm videos addressing customers’ frequently asked questions about storm response and restoration that can be found here. Customers should follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter and at http://www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm for storm tips, information about restoration efforts, customer service and more.

As restoration efforts near completion, the company encourages customers to keep safety first following any storm by following these safety tips:

• 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.

For additional video tips on preparing for winter weather, visit GeorgiaPower.com/storm. The site features information on a variety of severe weather topics including staying