More than 250,000 Georgians already without power

Counties in south Georgia are already beginning to feel the effects of Hurricane Irma, as more than 250,000 Georgia Power customers were temporarily without electricity as strong winds from Irma rattled power lines and knocked down tree limbs.

Most of the outages were on the east coast of the state near Kings Bay, Brunswick and Savannah. Adel, Tifton, Valdosta and other south Georgia cities were also beginning to see widespread outages Monday morning.

“As the outer bands of Hurricane Irma enter Southern Georgia, Georgia Power is prepared to respond to customer outages with approximately 3,400 field personnel. Crews are standing by and will begin restoring power when it is safe to do so,” Georgia Power said in a statement.

Heavy winds, flooding and rain possible in a hurricane or tropical storm means that Georgia Power is expecting at least some unavoidable power outages across the state. A spokesman for Georgia Power told the Ledger-Enquirer Friday that the utility was prepared to respond to outages once the weather became less severe.

“It all depends on the track of the storm. If we get tropical-storm-force winds, we’d expect to see outages as tree limbs and branches come down on wires,” said Kraft. “Then the question is getting those resource to the places that need it. We’re prepared to respond as quickly and safely as possible.”

Once the storm passes, Georgia Power said that its crews would fan out to affected areas and begin repairing lines. Depending on the extent of the damage, the company said that restoration efforts might take “upwards of several days if not weeks.”

Columbus is expected to feel winds of between 40-50 mph and gusts as high as 70 mph as the storm moves in. The National Weather Service said that at such speeds, the winds “will easily bring trees down across the area which will also lead to widespread power outages.”

The immediate Chattahoochee Valley area has not seen widespread power outages as of 8 a.m. Monday, though some limited outages have been reported around the Plains and Americus areas.

Georgia Power offered the following tips and resources for customers to make use of before, during and after the storm.

• Develop a plan for your family. The plan should include the destination of travel, alternate routes, gas stations and a re-unification plan if family members become separated as well as a list of critical information such as utility accounts and insurance documents.
• Prepare and carry an emergency supply kit with critical supplies. Supplies may include a car charger for cell phones or other electronics, a flashlight, battery operated radio and non-electric clock – for a complete list of additional items, visit the Georgia Power hurricane resource page.
• Unplug electronics in your home and place them on sturdy surfaces or relocate them to the highest floor.
• Turn your refrigerator and freezer to the coldest settings and pack your freezer with as many food items as possible. If electrical service is interrupted, a packed freezer can keep food frozen for up to 48 hours.
• When traveling before or after a storm, be aware of electrical crews working or the potential for down power lines or power poles.

Tools You Can Use

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

This story was originally published September 11, 2017 at 7:55 AM with the headline "More than 250,000 Georgians already without power."