ATLANTA—Georgia Power crews are responding to scattered outages this morning as a result of heavy rain and gusty winds associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Fred. As of 11 a.m. Tuesday, approximately 8,000 customers statewide were without power as the weather system continues to move north through the state.
Crews are finding downed wires and broken poles in some areas caused by fallen trees, limbs and debris, and will be working throughout the day to make repairs. Heavy rains and saturated soil mean wind gusts are likely to bring down trees that could cause additional outages.
Customers are encouraged to prepare, stay weather aware and keep safety in mind as dangerous conditions can exist following storms. The company has developed a series of storm videos addressing customers’ frequently asked questions about storm response and restoration that can be found here. For storm tips, information about restoration efforts, customer service and more, visit http://www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm.
Severe weather can happen anytime across Georgia:
· Before a Storm: Know your risks of flooding and tropical storm or hurricane strength winds. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power.
· During a Storm: Have several ways to receive emergency notifications and weather updates. Take safe shelter inside a sturdy building away from windows and doors. Avoid contact with conductors of electricity – appliances, metal objects and water.
· After a Storm: Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or TV wires that touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off power lines or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. Additionally, do not walk or drive through standing water or step onto saturated ground where downed lines may be present.
After the Storm Safety Tips:
· 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 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.
· Protect electronics and appliances. Disconnect or turn off any appliances that will start automatically when power returns to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored.
Additional Tools You Can Use:
· 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.
· Outage Alerts – Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message.
