EMCs prepare for Hurricane Ian

TUCKER, Ga. – Georgia’s Electric Membership Cooperatives (EMCs) have spent days preparing for the predicted impact of Hurricane Ian to minimize damage and to initiate repairs as soon as safely possible.

Planners began following the forecasts last week when Ian was just a tropical disturbance and have been adjusting arrangements with each update on the predicted path of the storm. Local preparation includes staging equipment such as spare poles, wire and transformers in various places beyond the EMC headquarters to cut down on travel time after the storm. Local line crews have also been inspecting the right of way paths of power lines to take care of trees and limbs that appear to pose a danger of falling.

Extra staff will be on hand to monitor outages, dispatch repair crews and answer calls from people reporting loss of power. Many EMCs have the ability to know instantly where outages occur.

Georgia EMC has been in contact with EMCs in neighboring states – even as far away as Texas – to arrange for crews to travel to affected EMCs here. These linemen and construction crews are experienced in setting poles and building infrastructure as well as stringing distribution lines. Some have responded to Georgia storms before.

To prepare for hazards present during and after the storm, residents should consider the following electrical safety tips:   

1. Beware of fallen power lines.  If you come upon a fallen power line, assume it is electrically charged. This includes any wires that look like cable and telephone lines as well. Report any downed line to your power company.
2. Report an outage to your local EMC by phone, email or visiting their website.   
3. Take proper precautions when using a generator if you lose power. Place the generator outside the home, as dangerous carbon monoxide fumes are odorless and can quickly overwhelm you indoors. Also, never connect generators to another power source, such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or “backfeed” can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.
4. Prepare for medical needs, such as having a plan for loved ones who depend on medical equipment that requires electricity. This includes backup power, extra medical supplies and medication, or going to an alternative location until the storm is over.  
5. A final helpful hint. In the event of a power outage, check your breaker panels before calling your power company. Check both the main breaker on the inside panel and outside disconnect (usually only found in newer homes) located close to your electric meter. If the breaker is tripped, it will be stopped halfway between "off" and "on." Turn the breaker off first and then back on to reset it. If you still have power in part of your home, check the individual breakers in the panel.   

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 approximately 4.4 million people, nearly half of Georgia’s population, across 73 percent of the state’s land area. To learn more, visit www.georgiaemc.com and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

RESOURCES  

Outage Map – provides real-time information on power outages across the state at georgiaemc.com/Outages

Storm Preparation – a complete list of items to prepare in homes and businesses before the storm is available at Ready Georgia, provided by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, at gema.georgia.gov/hurricanes