Monday power restoration update for Bulloch - 16k remain without power

Excelsior EMC tent city, staging area for visiting power companies.

At the time of this story, Georgia Power's estimation for restoring power to the remaining 6,597 customers in Statesboro and Bulloch County is Thursday, October 3, 2024.

Excelsior EMC outage maps do not include estimated restoration times (ERT), but company officials are projecting 7 to 10 days for total restoration. EMC has 9,497 customers out in Bulloch at the time of this story.

Outage maps

Excelsior EMC are cautioning customers that power outages could extend 7-10 days. 

Georgia Power estimated restoration times for Bulloch on their outage map extends to Thursday evening October 3, 2024. 

Georgia power has determined that Hurricane Helene was the most destructive hurricane in its history, damaging infrastructure across the state.

Click here to view findenergy.com updated Bulloch outagemap.

Monday, September 30th power company statements

EMC

Click here for EMC updates on their Facebook page.

"We're starting to see some steady progress across our service territory! With our substations coming back online, we've been able to restore power to more and more members. So far, just shy of 10,000 of our members have their power back, and we're hopeful to see that number rise throughout the day."

EMC Linemen workers in the process of fixing and restoring power lines and poles

Our crews are still working hard to repair the damage to our main distribution lines, but we're also starting to tackle our tap lines. Please continue to support these linemen when you see them out there. It's a hot day, and they've been giving it their all for days now!

Our spirits are high, and that's in no small part due to the positivity you all continue to show us. We can't overstate how much your kindness boosts morale, helping us keep going strong to get the lights on for everyone!

Stay tuned to our social media for continuous updates. Thank you for your patience and support!"

As the graphic shows, electricity goes through several stages before it gets to your home.

GPC

"Our teams continue to demonstrate exceptional dedication and resilience in responding to the most destructive hurricane in Georgia Power’s history. Across the state, we have already identified 7,000+ broken poles, 15,000+ spans of wire down (equivalent of 700 miles), 1,200+ damaged transformers, and 3,000+ trees on power lines that must be removed or addressed.

Over 2,350 company resources, contractors, and teams from mutual assistance utilities from as far away as Canada (yes, the country!), are actively engaged in restoration efforts in our southeast region. Additional resources are continually arriving. Thanks to strategic planning, teams were able to restore more than 65,000 customers in southeast region Sunday alone, bringing the total number of restored customers to 156,000.

As of 5:00 PM Monday, 96,084 customers across our 15-county region remain without power.

Outages by operating headquarters:

  • Savannah – 50,339
  • Springfield – 13,184
  • Hinesville – 7,078
  • Brunswick – 11,139
  • Statesboro – 14,344

You can continue to check the company’s Outage Map for updated Estimated Restoration Times.

It is our expectation that 95% of customers who can accept power will be restored by the originally provided ERTs. (below)"

The geographical area Estimated Restoration Times (ERTs) noted below, which were shared with customers and internal partners last evening, represent the expectation of when 95% of customers in the area, who are capable of accepting power, will have their power restored. ERTs will be revised, by specific address, as additional assessments are completed. These updated ERTs will be posted to the company’s Outage Map as they are available. The Georgia Power Outage Map is the sole accurate source for ERTs. Customers should rely on this map for the most reliable information regarding power restoration. Inaccurate information has been repeatedly circulated via social media.

  • Savannah – Tuesday, October 1 by 10 PM
  • Springfield – Wednesday, October 2 by 6 PM
  • Hinesville – Wednesday, October 2 by 6 PM
  • Statesboro – Thursday, October 3 at 10 PM
  • Brunswick – Monday, September 29 at 10 PM

Restoration activities will continue non-stop, 24/7 until every customer is restored. 

On behalf of the entire team, thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support."

Georgia Power continues its deployment of more than 15,000 personnel responding to Hurricane Helene – determined to be the most destructive hurricane in the company’s history. As of midday Monday, the company has restored power to more than 840,000 customers impacted by Helene. This rapid response has been possible through the implementation of new “smart grid” technologies and the quick work of pre-positioned teams who were ready to respond as soon as conditions were safe to do so on Friday.

Efforts are fully underway to restore power to approximately 370,000 customers who remain without power due to the storm. Hurricane Helene had a statewide impact and Georgia Power matched that with a statewide response, including engagement of every Georgia Power crew at the beginning of the storm and thousands of additional lineworkers from outside of Georgia. As restoration has progressed over the last several days, crews are working their way through the power system efficiently and effectively to repair extreme damage and restore power to the highest number of customers with every repair made.

As crews have completed their work near their initial staging areas, they are now converging on the hardest hit areas in coastal, eastern and southern Georgia. Georgia Power’s Outage Map illustrates the highest concentration of power outages in areas such as Augusta, Valdosta and Savannah, and surrounding communities. In many cases, the damage to infrastructure is so severe teams are essentially rebuilding parts of the grid and not just repairing specific elements.

Updated damage estimates illustrating the extensive destruction of Hurricane Helene include:

  • 7,000+ power poles that must be repaired or replaced
  • 15,000+ spans of wire equivalent to more than 700 miles
  • 1,200+ transformers
  • 3,000+ trees on power lines that must be removed or addressed to restore power

Georgia Power president, chairman and CEO Kim Greene has been in the field with crews making sure they have the resources they need to restore power. A video message from Greene to customers illustrating the damage she is seeing in the field is available on Facebook and Instagram. The company also continues to utilize social media to keep customers informed and show the progress of teams working in communities across the state.

Please visit our Outage Map for the latest update on our restoration process, including ERTs. We will continue to update the Outage Map, and our customers on social.

Thank a lineman

Now is the time to shower all of the linemen who are working tirelessly around the clock to restore our power with kindness and patience. Many of these dedicated workers have traveled long distances, leaving their families behind to help us.  

If you have a sign in front of your business, please use these to thank the linemen. Any show of support for them will go a long way.

 

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