Atlanta, Georgia – As severe storms continue to sweep over metro Atlanta and northern Georgia, thousands of residents are enduring power disruptions, increasing the hardships faced by the inclement weather. The vast system, impacting a broad region of the state, has interrupted daily life and poses significant repair challenges for several utility firms.
Georgia Power estimates a considerable amount of its customers are affected, with current numbers indicating around 24,469 people across the state struggling with 684 active outages. These data reflect a bigger issue as electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) in the region also report substantial disruptions.
In particular, communities west of Atlanta, including Union City, Campbellton, and the City of South Fulton, along with counties like Cobb and Coweta, are amongst the hardest affected. Local EMCs have been working diligently to assess and remediate the damages to restore power. Amicalola EMC has reported 57 outages hitting 1,440 customers, while Carroll EMC is coping with 95 outages affecting 2,244 customers. Furthermore, Coweta-Fayette EMC has recorded outages effecting 184 of its service recipients scattered across Coweta, Fayette, and Heard counties.
The issue extends beyond these areas, with GreyStone Power citing 87 outages affecting 13,201 customers. Additionally, Jackson EMC is suffering a startling 454 outages spanning Banks, Hall, Jackson, Lumpkin, and Madison counties, indicating the extensive breadth of the storm’s damage.
Snapping Shoals EMC has not been spared, with 150 outages recorded spanning Rockdale, DeKalb, Newton, and Henry counties. Meanwhile, Sawnee EMC has reported two outages, impacting a mere seven customers, showing the various degrees of the storm’s affects across different areas.
These power disruptions have led to a coordinated effort by utility technicians who are out in force, traversing difficult weather conditions to repair downed power lines and restore electricity to affected households. The restoration effort is painstaking, with safety as the main priority, while personnel work against the backdrop of persistent storm threats.
Residents are advised to stay informed through local news sources and utility updates and to exercise caution by avoiding downed power lines and wet areas during this tumultuous period. As the storm develops, further updates on the restoration efforts and safety advisories are expected.
