Atlanta

Hurricane Matthew restoration efforts continue

By Kimberly Richardson
By Kimberly Richardson

ATLANTA — Nearly 5,000 personnel from Georgia Power and assisting utilities made substantial progress Saturday following Hurricane Matthew, restoring power to more than 110,000 customers impacted during the storm.

Teams worked safely throughout the night as conditions allowed and will continue Sunday to work deeper into hard-hit areas of the Georgia coast.

Photos: Hurricane Matthew's aftermath in Georgia

Restoration crews continue to repair extensive damage to electrical infrastructure, impeded by flooding and roads blocked by downed trees and debris. Restoration for all customers could take days, especially in remote areas and on the coast.

The company has issued the following update on restoration efforts:

  • Power has been restored to more than 100,000 customers following Hurricane Matthew.
  • As of 8:30 a.m. Sunday, there are more than 203,565 customers without power in Georgia and more than 1,919 cases of damage (including broken poles and lines) the company is working to repair.
  • Damage and power outages are concentrated in Coastal Georgia, including Chatham, Glynn, Effingham, Bulloch and Liberty Counties.

As part of Southern Company, as well as a national mutual assistance network, Georgia Power is able to receive assistance from other utilities not impacted by the storm to aid in restoration efforts.

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Utilities from other states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, are currently in Georgia working alongside Georgia Power crews to restore service for customers.

Georgia Power wants to reminds customers that dangerous conditions exist following a storm.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 standing water as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. If using a generator, follow all manufacturers’ connection and safety instructions and shut the generator down before reconnecting to Georgia Power service.

The company also offers the following tools you can use to stay informed during restoration efforts:

  • Outage Alerts: Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message.
  • Outage & Storm Center: Available at www.georgiapower.com/storm, customers can visit this site to sign up for Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938.
  • Outage Map: Housed within the Outage & Storm Center, Georgia Power's interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are occurring across the state and track estimated restoration times.
  • Georgia Power Mobile App: Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go.
  • @GeorgiaPower on Twitter: Follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.

Cox Media Group

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