At the time of this story, Georgia Power's estimation for restoring power to the remaining 1,875 customers in Statesboro and Bulloch County is Sunday, October 6, 2024.
Excelsior EMC outage maps show 4,867 customers out in Bulloch at the time of this story. Excelsior EMC are cautioning customers that power outages could extend into next week or longer for some.
Outage maps
Click here to view findenergy.com updated Bulloch outagemap.
Thursday, October 3rd power company statements
EMC
Click here for EMC updates on their Facebook page.
"As we look back on day seven of our efforts to restore power in the wake of Hurricane Helene, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our dedicated crews, mutual aid partners, and, most importantly, to you—our members.
Thanks to the work of our linemen and the support from neighboring cooperatives, right-of-way crews, and contractors we have successfully restored power to 68% of our membership. We know that being without power is incredibly challenging, and we deeply appreciate your patience and understanding throughout this process. Your support has kept us going during these long days and nights.
If you're still experiencing an outage, rest assured that our teams will not stop until every last member has their lights back on. We continue to work around the clock, and our goal is to have the remaining outages restored as quickly and safely as possible.
A huge thank you also goes to the families of our linemen and office staff, who have supported them while they serve our community.
Please continue to report any issues or outages using the app or by calling our offices at 912-685-2115 or 912-764-2123."
GPC
"The team has successfully restored power to approximately 74% of customers in the Statesboro Area who experienced outages due to Hurricane Helene. At the peak of the storm, around 27,000 customers were affected in our five-county area. Intense efforts are ongoing to restore service to the remaining 8,475 Statesboro Area customers who are still without power.
As damage is being cleared and access improves, crews are able converge on the hardest hit areas to make necessary repairs.
The most current Estimated Restoration Time (ERT) can be found using Georgia Power’s Outage Map. We will continue to work around the clock until power is restored to every customer who can accept it.
We are closing in on the finish line!"
Georgia Power has restored power to more than 1.2 million customers following Hurricane Helene – more than 90% of all customers impacted by the most destructive hurricane in the company’s history. Progress is ongoing and the company expects to reach 95% total restoration by this Saturday.
More than 20,000 personnel remain engaged in the company’s response. Rapid response to Hurricane Helene 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. Over the last few days, efforts have further intensified to repair damage and restore service in the hardest hit areas with crews converging on communities across coastal, eastern and southern Georgia.
Crews continue to work their way through the power system efficiently and effectively to repair extreme damage and restore power to the most customers with every repair made. In many cases, the damage to infrastructure is so severe that teams are essentially rebuilding parts of the grid and not just repairing specific elements. While damage and treacherous conditions remain, teams are working around the clock and will remain in the field until every customer who can accept power is restored.
As of midday Thursday, the company has restored power to 95 percent of impacted customers in the Savannah area, and approximately 85 percent of impacted customers in the Valdosta and Macon areas. Augusta remains the most heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene with extensive flooding and tree damage. Currently, approximately 65 percent of customers impacted by the storm in the Augusta area have now been reconnected and teams continue to work around the clock to reconnect all customers.
Updated damage estimates illustrating the extensive destruction of Hurricane Helene include:
- 8,300+ power poles that must be repaired or replaced
- 21,000+ spans of wire damaged equivalent to approximately 1,000 miles
- 1,600+ transformers damaged
- 3,200+ trees on power lines that must be removed or addressed to restore power
Restoration Status Being Regularly Updated
Georgia Power appreciates the importance of accurate information for customers as they make plans for their families following this historic hurricane. As the company anticipated and announced before the arrival of the storm, restoration efforts are taking multiple days in many areas due to the extensive damage from Helene. Georgia Power continues to post updated estimated restoration times (ERTs) for communities on its Outage Map.
The company will continue to post updated information throughout the remainder of the restoration process and will make every effort to return power to customers sooner than expected. However, as new damage in previously inaccessible areas becomes apparent, restoration efforts may take longer than originally estimated. 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.
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.
