2000,000 Georgia Power customers without
power Thursday morning due to Hurricane Michael

Extensive damage and extended power outages in Middle, South and West Georgia expected to continue due to high winds and fallen trees

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 – Hurricane Michael continues to impact service to Georgia Power customers with severe weather expected to continue. As the storm clears the state, the company has secured additional resources and is prepared to respond with approximately 3,900 personnel from the company, other Southern Company operating companies and assisting utilities ready to restore power as quickly and safely as possible following the storm. All of Georgia Power’s resources are being held and dedicated to storm restoration efforts in the state following Hurricane Michael.

Damage Update

• As of 5:30 a.m. Thursday, there are more than 200,000 customers without power in Georgia and more than 2,700 individual cases of damage (including broken poles and lines) the company is working to repair.
• Damage and outages are primarily concentrated in Middle, South and West Georgia.

Once the storm leaves affected areas, the company must wait until conditions are safe for damage assessment teams to enter the field and begin the restoration process, followed by repair crews, which could take several days, or longer, depending on the amount of damage and safe access to the area. As weather conditions improve, restoration efforts will accelerate, but it could take an extended period of time for all customers to be restored.

When severe weather strikes, Georgia Power has access to additional resources available as part of the Southern Company system, which includes multiple electric and gas companies serving more than 9 million customers nationwide. Additionally, Georgia Power is part of a national mutual assistance network consisting of dozens of utilities from around the country, and the company is able to tap into reinforcements when needed to restore power to Georgia customers following a storm. The company has contacted and requested aid through the mutual assistance network and additional resources have been assigned.

Employees are reminded to share the following after the storm safety tips with neighbors, family and friends:

• 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 in the field. – Move over a lane if crews are working on the side of the road. It’s the law in Georgia.

For more on the damage assessment and restoration process, visit Georgia Power’s YouTube channel.