5:30 p.m. Update: Georgia Power crews respond amid waves of pop-up storms moving across the state

Approximately 8,000 customers impacted by outages, majority due to fallen trees and downed power lines

Company reminds customers to focus on safety, follow social media as forecasts call for additional severe weather through tomorrow

News provided by

Georgia Power

May 03, 2021, 18:10 ET

ATLANTA, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As waves of severe weather continue to cross the state, Georgia Power crews have faced recurring damage from high winds, heavy rain, lightning and tornadoes that have led to fallen trees, damaged equipment and downed power lines. As of late-afternoon, crews are in the field working to restore power to approximately 8,000 customers currently impacted by the storms.

As crews work to assess damage and make repairs while safe to do so between storms, they are finding broken poles, multiple spans of broken wire, damage caused by lightning strikes and limbs on lines. As crews work to restore power, they must stop and find shelter when new storms that include high winds and lightning make continued work unsafe. Customers should follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter and at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm for storm tips, information about restoration efforts, customer service and more.

With severe weather forecasted to continue impacting the state through tomorrow, saturated soil means 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 severe 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.

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.

Georgia Power continues to monitor changing weather conditions as severe weather is predicted over the coming days and shares the following tools for severe weather preparedness.

Tools You Can Use

@GeorgiaPower on Twitter – Follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.
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.

About Georgia Power
Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the Company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the Company is recognized by J.D. Power as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the Company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power).

SOURCE Georgia Power