Georgia Power’s response to Hurricane Helene, the most destructive in the company’s history, has now grown to 20,000 personnel working statewide. By Tuesday afternoon, power had been restored to over 1 million customers—about 80% of those impacted by the storm. This swift recovery was made possible by new “smart grid” technology and pre-positioned teams ready to act as soon as conditions allowed on Friday.
Efforts are ongoing to restore power to the remaining 278,000 customers, with crews focusing on the hardest-hit areas, including coastal, eastern, and southern Georgia. As they clear damage, access improves, and teams are making repairs that restore power to the most customers with each action.
Georgia Power’s Outage Map highlights the areas most affected, including Augusta, Valdosta, and Savannah. In some areas, the damage is so severe that crews are essentially rebuilding parts of the grid rather than just repairing damaged components. Despite challenges like blocked roads, communication issues, and widespread tree damage, progress continues, with thousands of customers being reconnected daily.
Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction, including:
- 8,000+ power poles needing repair or replacement
- 21,000+ spans of wire, equal to about 1,000 miles
- 1,500+ transformers
- 3,200+ trees on power lines requiring removal for restoration
Georgia Power provides regular updates on estimated restoration times (ERTs) through its Outage Map, as repairs may take longer in newly accessible areas. Customers are encouraged to use the Outage Map for reliable information and avoid potentially inaccurate updates from other sources.
In preparation for Hurricane Helene, Georgia Power monitored the storm’s path for over a week and mobilized additional staff and equipment. Crews were pre-positioned statewide with extra transformers, poles, cables, and other equipment, matching the storm’s impact with a coordinated statewide response. This preparation enabled a faster recovery, aided by industry support from Alabama Power, Mississippi Power, and over 35 other companies from across the U.S.
Georgia Power reminds customers to prioritize safety by avoiding downed power lines, chain link fences, and standing water near damaged electrical equipment. For homes with severe damage, an electrician may need to make repairs before the company can reconnect power.
