Severe weather swept across Georgia this weekend, leaving behind widespread power outages and property damage from high winds, heavy rain, and lightning. Utility crews from across the state, including Georgia Power and local EMCs, have been working nonstop to restore power and ensure public safety.
As of Sunday night, Georgia Power reported it had restored electricity to all but 3,200 customers statewide. Significant damage was reported in areas including Athens, Alpharetta, and Rome. Georgia Power noted that its “smart grid” technology enabled remote switching and faster restoration in some areas, even as storms continued to move through the state.
- STORM-RELATE COVERAGE
- Falling tree kills Carnesville man in Banks County
- Historic bell knocked to ground by storm in safekeeping
- Cleanup underway after straight-line winds topple trees across Northeast Georgia
Across North Georgia, electric membership cooperatives faced similar challenges. Habersham EMC crews worked through the night to repair several broken poles and remove downed wires. As of late Sunday, June 8, the cooperative reported that around 240 members in its six-county service area were still without service. Earlier in the day, HEMC thanked members for their patience and said, “We won’t stop working until all power has been restored.”
Hart EMC crews spent Sunday restoring service to most of its 3,500 members who woke up without electricity. As of early Monday, June 9, approximately 500 Hart EMC members were still without power.
“Our crews are exhausted and hungry, yet they continue working to restore your power,” Hart EMC stated. “Please remember to stay clear of downed lines.”
Meanwhile, Blue Ridge EMC crews restored power to more than 4,000 customers whose service was knocked out by toppled trees and lightning strikes. The utility reported 17 broken poles across its service area.
Jackson EMC and Amicalola EMC also responded to widespread outages. At the latest report early Monday, Jackson EMC had over 2,918 customers without power, and Amicalola EMC was working to restore service to nearly 1,200 members.
Despite the round-the-clock efforts, utility companies caution that more outages could occur. With the ground already saturated from days of rain, additional wind gusts may bring down more trees and power lines.
The forecast calls for another possible round of severe weather on Monday.
Safety remains top priority
Utilities are urging all residents to stay away from downed lines and poles, which could be energized and extremely dangerous. Other safety reminders include:
- Never touch or move tree branches entangled with power lines.
- Avoid standing water or saturated areas where lines may be hidden.
- Do not approach chain-link fences that could conduct electricity.
- Use generators only in well-ventilated areas and follow all manufacturer instructions.
- Unplug sensitive electronics to protect against surges when power is restored.
Stay informed
Georgia Power and local EMCs are providing outage updates through their websites, social media channels, and outage maps. Customers are encouraged to sign up for outage alerts and check for real-time restoration estimates.
Visit GeorgiaPower’s online outage map for updated outage information.
Use the Georgia EMC outage map and alert systems for localized updates.
