Georgia Power restoration efforts entering final stages

Georgia Power expects to have restoration efforts largely completed Tuesday night with crews in the field remaining focused on reconnecting all customers impacted by Tropical Storm Debby. The company has restored more than 122,500 customers since the beginning of the storm with service to approximately 1,500 customers currently impacted by the storm.

The company assembled thousands of personnel from Georgia Power and its sister companies Mississippi Power and Alabama Power, who have been working around the clock to restore power for those hardest hit areas in Southeast Georgia that received the most destructive damage from Tropical Storm Debby. By midnight Tuesday, the company expects to have restored service to 99% of customers impacted by the tropical storm.

The areas with the most severe damage from the storm were Valdosta and Savannah, with areas along the coast experiencing sustained storm conditions as the tropical storm slowed. Some of the damage crews encountered included broken poles and downed wire caused by high winds, heavy rain and downed trees.

Those in some of the hardest hit areas of Georgia may not be able to reconnect to Georgia Power service due to damage to the customer’s facilities. The electrical service entry point on a home or business, including the meter box and other components, must be repaired before Georgia Power can reconnect service. The company cannot, by law, connect power to a damaged meter box, or other non-Georgia Power components, and property owners should contact a qualified electrician to make repairs in order for the company to reconnect service.

While Tropical Storm Debby is moving out of the state, Georgia Power urges customers to keep safety first during severe weather and offers multiple tools and resources to stay connected and informed.

 After the Storm Safety Tips

• Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or cable wires that touch a power line. 
• Never pull tree limbs off power lines yourself or enter areas with debris, downed trees or flooding, as power lines may be buried in the wreckage or submerged in standing water. 
• Call 911, local authorities, or Georgia Power immediately if you see a fallen or low-hanging power line.
• If you see crews working while you are driving, please move over to give them room to work.