EMCs Continue Damage Assessment and Restoration

TUCKER, Ga. – At 4:30 p.m., EMCs in Georgia are reporting approximately 393,000 members without power. The damage is catastrophic, particularly in the eastern side of the state from the coast up to the greater Augusta area, as well as in Valdosta and surrounding areas. With fallen trees and downed power lines blocking roads, many linemen cleared their own paths to safely leave co-op offices and staging areas to begin damage assessments and restoration work.

Notable destruction of the transmission system has been seen in the eastern part of the state, disrupting power coming into many EMCs’ distribution substations. Many transmission towers have fallen, and toppled trees must be removed from transmission lines. Georgia Transmission reports that more than 100 high-voltage transmission lines and nearly 100 substations are currently out of service. Their crews are continuing to assess damage while simultaneously working to bring these lines and substations back to operation.

EMC line crews are continuing damage assessments and restoring power where possible. Much of the work will be arduous and time-intensive, involving removing trees from lines, replacing broken power poles and restringing electric wire.

With outage numbers reaching more than double those caused by Hurricane Michael in 2018—the most significant damage to Georgia’s electric system in decades—EMCs warn there will be extensive delays in total restoration. Medically fragile individuals who depend on electricity are encouraged to find an alternate location until power restoration is complete.

Thanks to mutual aid agreements with EMCs across the United States, crews and equipment have already arrived and are continuing to arrive from Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Ohio and Alabama. Efforts to bring in additional crews are ongoing.

EMCs want to remind the public that safety is a priority for their employees and members alike. Individuals should stay away from downed power lines, keep a safe distance from crews as they work to restore power and review recommended generator safety tips, listed below, during the duration of the outage.

Generator Usage and Safety:
• If using a generator, follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions and all safety guidelines.
• Never operate a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors, such as in your home, crawlspace, basement, or garage.
• Never connect generators to another power source, such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or "backfeed" can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.

Outage Information:
A map showing current outages by region, updated every 15 minutes, can be found at http://www.georgiaemc.com/outages. To report power outages and gain more detailed outage and restoration updates, customers should contact their local EMC provider.

About Georgia EMC:
Georgia EMC is the statewide trade association representing the state’s 41 electric cooperatives, Oglethorpe Power Corp., Georgia Transmission Corp. and Georgia System Operations Corp. Collectively, Georgia’s customer-owned co-ops 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. To learn more, visit www.georgiaemc.com and follow us on Facebook and X.

About Georgia Transmission:
Georgia Transmission Corp., a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 38 Electric Membership Corporations (EMCs), owns more than 5,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and more than 780 substations. These facilities deliver power to Georgia’s EMCs providing electricity to more than 4.5 million Georgians. For more information, visit gatransmission.com.

###