Georgia Power poised to respond to Irma power outages

ATLANTA — Georgia Power officials said Sunday night that they have 3,400 personnel positioned to respond to what are expected to be extensive power outages caused by Hurricane Irma, which will affect Georgia starting late tonight.

Georgia Power officials said all of its resources have been held to respond to storm restoration in Irma’s wake.

As National Weather Service meteorologists have stated, Georgia Power officials say they anticipate widespread power interruptions. Workers with GPC and other Southern Co. companies will be deployed to restore power as soon as conditions are safe.

According to NWS forecasts, winds will reach the 20s this evening and increase to the 30s overnight, with higher gusts. The highest winds will be in the mid-40s and low 50s from noon to 7 p.m. Monday, with gusts as high as 70 mph Monday afternoon.

The high winds, coupled with heavy rain, are expected to result in fallen trees and downed power lines.

“Once the storm leaves affected areas, the company must wait until conditions are safe for damage assessment teams to enter the field and begin the restoration process, followed by repair crews, which could take several days, if not weeks, depending on the amount of damage and safe access to the area,” Georgia Power officials said. “As weather conditions improve, restoration efforts will accelerate, but it could take an extended period of time for all customers to be restored.”

Georgia Power has asked for help from other utilities through a mutual assistance network, but officials said those resources have been assigned to harder-hit areas in Florida before Georgia.

Company officials also are urging customers to complete their preparations before the weather deteriorates.

Tips from Georgia Power to prepare before the storm:

— Note the location of power lines and poles. This makes it easier to know where downed power lines may be possible following the storm. Also, ensure that curb sides and yards are clear to allow quick repair and restoration following the storm.

— Protect electronics and appliances. Turn off air conditioners since power surges can overload them, unplug all electronics such as DVD players, televisions and computers, and move any appliances or electronics that may be located in flood-prone areas of your home.

— Secure any outdoor items that could be moved by high winds and cause damage. Move patio furniture inside where possible.

— Charge all necessary electronics, including cell phones and tablets, to stay connected even if the power is out. Know how to adjust the settings on mobile devices to maximize battery life and use power banks if available.

— Customers can subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message.

– At www.georgiapower.com/storm, customers can 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.

— 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’s mobile app for Apple and Android devices gives access to storm and outage information.

— @GeorgiaPower on Twitter has storm tips, outage updates, customer service information.