Power to 525,000 Georgia Power customers restored following Hurricane Irma

425,000 customers still without power throughout Georgia

ATLANTA – Electric service to nearly 1 million Georgia Power customers was impacted at the height of Hurricane Irma and now Georgia Power has restored power to more than 525,000 customers across the state. As of 10 p.m. (Sept. 12) approximately 425,000 customers were without power across Georgia.

Company officials said as Georgia Power crews continue to work around the clock, customers should plan for extended outages, possibly days or weeks, due to the vast damage from the storm. Regional and statewide restoration estimates will be available as soon as assessment is completed.

Challenges for workers include downed trees, blocked roads and bridges that must be inspected by the state.

Restoration progress since the beginning of the storm has been largely possible thanks to Georgia’s advanced electric grid, which allows the company to reroute and restore power even when weather conditions prevent work in the field, as well as early work of crews.

Damage Update as of 10 p.m. Tuesday

• Power has been restored to 525,000 Georgia Power customers across the state.
• There are approximately 425,000 Georgia Power customers currently without power.
• Approximately 10,000 cases of individual damage or trouble (including broken poles and lines) the company is working to repair.
• Damage and outages are widespread and across the state with the hurricane impacting service to customers around Savannah, Columbus, Metro Atlanta and beyond.

The company encourages customers to keep safety first:

• 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 to avoid being electrified.
• Don’t step in standing water or saturated ground where downed lines may be present.
• 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.