EMCs Make Steady Progress in Power Restoration

TUCKER, Ga., Jan. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Electric Membership Cooperatives (EMCs) continue demanding work to restore electricity following severe weather and tornadoes which slammed many parts of Georgia over the weekend. Approximately 4,000 customers remain without power in southwest Georgia, primarily in Dougherty and Worth Counties where a number of people lost their lives.

Since Friday, EMCs have restored service to nearly 45,000 customers following a three-day outbreak of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. At one point, outages occurred in nearly every area of the state, while some EMCs in south and southwest Georgia reported that 95 percent of the distribution system was knocked out as a result.  

In the hardest hit areas--where homes, businesses and other structures have been destroyed—there are mountains of debris on roadways, hundreds of fallen trees on power lines, and miles of damaged power lines and power poles.

Despite the finest efforts of local crews as well as crews and additional equipment from all over the state, outages for some customers will extend for several days due to the level of damage and the inability to access some spots. 

Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state's 41 EMCs, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp.  Collectively, Georgia's customer-owned EMCs provide electricity and related services to 4.4 million people, nearly half of Georgia's population, across 73 percent of the state's land area.

SOURCE Georgia EMC

Related Links

http://www.georgiaemc.com