ATLANTA, July 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tropical Storm
Elsa is expected to cross into Georgia later this week, bringing heavy rains
and gusty winds to the southern and coastal parts of the state.
Georgia Power encourages customers to monitor local weather
conditions and keep safety first as inclement weather moves in. The
company is ready to respond to any service interruptions as quickly
and safely as possible.
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. Customers should follow
@GeorgiaPower on Twitter and at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Storm for
storm tips, information about restoration efforts, customer service
and more.
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.
Infrastructure Investment – Reliability and Resiliency
The company continually invests in infrastructure to increase the
day-to-day reliability of its systems and shorten outage and repair
time. The company's use of Smart Grid technology and increased
automation in recent years mean an increased ability to more
quickly isolate outages that do occur to smaller numbers of
customers and reroute power remotely for improved reliability.
In addition, Georgia Power's operational plans, systems,
infrastructure and generating plants are all designed to enhance
the resiliency of the network to best withstand major occurrences,
such as severe weather events, including tornadoes, hurricanes and
extreme heat or cold. Resiliency investments include upgrading
transmission and distribution infrastructure across the power grid,
including making power lines more durable.
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'
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).
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SOURCE Georgia Power