Georgia Power Company and Excelsior EMC are cautioning customers that power outages could extend until the end of next week.
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.
During the peak outages, there were 29,176 customers out in Bulloch County. As of 9pm on September 28th, they have restored power to 6,374 customers. There are 22,802 customers remaining without power.
At the time of this story, Georgia Power's estimation for restoring power to the remaining 10,115 customers in Statesboro and Bulloch County is Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Excelsior EMC outage maps do not include estimated restoration times (ERT). EMC has 12,598 customers out in Bulloch at the time of this story.
Outage maps
Click here to view findenergy.com updated Bulloch outagemap.
Saturday, September 28th power company statements
EMC
Click here for EMC updates on their Facebook page.
"As we approach the end of our second day of power outages caused by Hurricane Helene, we want to be as transparent as possible with our members. We know many of you are anxious for a timeline on restoration. Unfortunately, while we can't provide accurate estimates for individual areas, we can confirm that some members will be without power well into next week.
Our best advice at this time is to prepare for outages to last until the latter half of next week. We understand this is difficult news, and we want to assure you that this delay is not due to a lack of effort from Excelsior EMC or our partners. Our crews are working day and night to restore power as quickly as possible, and many of you will see progress soon. However, for some, it will take more time.
Please remember this is a temporary challenge, and conditions will improve each day. Rest assured, we are allocating resources strategically to bring the lights back on for everyone as soon as we can.
We're all in this together, and we won't stop until every member has power restored. Communications will resume at 6:30 A.M.
As of 6:30 PM, we have successfully restored power to 4,120 members, which leaves 83% of our consumers without power. While this number remains high, please know that our crews are working tirelessly to restore service as quickly as possible.
We have additional crews steadily arriving, and by tomorrow morning, our workforce will be over 300 strong. We’re in this together, and it’s times like these that our community truly shines.
If your home has power, please consider extending a helping hand to neighbors still without. A warm meal, a hot shower, or just a place to rest can mean the world during times like this.
The damage to our service territory, our home, is disheartening, and we know how challenging this situation is, especially for those entering a third day without power. Please know that Excelsior EMC deeply sympathizes with each of you, and we’re committed to making this discomfort as brief as possible.
Genuinely, thank you for your continued patience and support. We’re pushing forward, and we won't stop until every light is back on."
GPC
"As of Saturday evening, Georgia Power has restored power to 520,000+ customers following the devastating impact of Hurricane 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.
Crews continue to navigate treacherous conditions including extensive tree damage, persisting flooding conditions and many road closures. As the first full day of restoration progressed Saturday, the company determined that Hurricane Helene was the most destructive hurricane in its history damaging infrastructure across the state. Additionally, there is the potential for additional damage and power outages that could occur due to the saturated ground and weakened trees.
Friday afternoon, just hours after the end of the storm in Georgia, the company published estimated restoration times (ERTs) for multiple communities (read more). On Saturday, as damage assessment activities provided valuable insight into damage and resources needed, the company posted new ERTs for additional communities across the state including Athens, Augusta, Brunswick, Clayton, Cornelia, Dublin, Gainesville, Hartwell, Hinesville, Macon, Madison, Milledgeville, Savannah, Springfield, Statesboro, Thomson, Tifton, Valdosta, Vidalia, Waycross and Waynesboro. ERTs represent the company’s expectation for 95% power restoration in the specified area. As the company anticipated and announced before the arrival of the storm, restoration efforts will take multiple days into next week. The latest ERTs for these areas, and others, are available on the company’s Outage Map.
Georgia Power appreciates the importance of accurate information for customers as they make plans for their families following this historic storm. The company is committed to publishing up to date information throughout the remainder of the restoration process and will make every effort to return power to customers sooner than expected. Customers are encouraged to check the Outage Map often for the latest information and not rely on possibly inaccurate details they may see from non-company sources.
The company continues to utilize additional resources from outside of its system and currently has 14,000+ personnel engaged in response, including support from Alabama Power, Mississippi Power and dozens of other companies. The response force currently engaged is larger than the company’s response to other major hurricanes including Michael, Irma and Zeta.
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.
