Georgia experienced severe weather this past weekend, resulting in extensive power outages and property damage due to lightning, strong winds, and heavy rain. To restore power and protect public safety, utility technicians from all around the state—including Georgia Power and local EMCs—have been working tirelessly.
Georgia Power said it has restored power to all but 3,200 customers throughout the state as of Sunday evening. There were reports of significant damage in places including Rome, Athens, and Alpharetta. Even as storms continued to travel across the state, Georgia Power reported that its smart grid technology allowed for remote switching and quicker restoration in certain locations.
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Electric membership cooperatives in North Georgia encountered comparable difficulties. Workers from Habersham EMC spent the night fixing a number of damaged poles and removing downed wires. Around 240 members in the cooperative’s six-county service area were still without service as of late Sunday, June 8. We won’t stop working until all electricity has been restored, HEMC said earlier in the day, thanking members for their patience.
The majority of Hart EMC’s 3,500 members who woke up without electricity had their service restored by technicians on Sunday. About 500 Hart EMC members were still without power as of early Monday, June 9.
“Despite their hunger and exhaustion, our crews are still working to restore your power,” Hart EMC said. Remember to avoid downed lines at all costs.
In the meantime, Blue Ridge EMC workers brought power back to almost 4,000 customers whose service had been interrupted by lightning and fallen trees. Throughout its service area, the company reported 17 broken poles.The quantity of damaged electricity poles that needed to be replaced hindered restoration work throughout North Georgia. In the service area of Habersham EMC, replacing damaged poles like this one takes three to four hours. Facebook/Habersham EMC
Widespread outages were also addressed by Jackson EMC and Amicalola EMC. As of early Monday, Amicalola EMC was attempting to restore service to about 1,200 members, while Jackson EMC had over 2,918 consumers without power.
Utility companies warn that more outages may happen despite their 24-hour efforts. More wind gusts might topple more trees and electricity lines, as the ground is already soggy after days of rain.
According to the prediction, Monday might see another wave of severe weather.
All households are being advised by utilities to avoid downed lines and poles as they may be electrified and very dangerous. Here are some additional safety reminders:
Through their websites, social media accounts, and outage maps, Georgia Power and nearby EMCs are updating their customers about outages. Consumers are urged to check for real-time restoration estimates and subscribe to outage alerts.
For the most recent outage information, visit GeorgiaPower’s online outage map.
For localized updates, see the Georgia EMC outage map and warning systems.