Officials urge residents to prepare for extended outages, asking public to report problems as temperatures drop
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Power crews across Central Georgia mobilize ahead of Friday’s winter weather threat, with preparations focusing on potential ice accumulation that could disrupt electrical service.
Georgia Power and Flint Energies have positioned crews and resources as forecasters predict a mix of snow and ice for the region, particularly in areas south of Atlanta including Macon and Warner Robins.
“We do monitor the weather year round, but especially this time of year, we know that we are more prone to winter storms,” said Amanda Arnold, Georgia Power spokesperson. “When this came up a few days ago, we began talking about what we need to do to make sure that we have the resources available.”
Ice accumulation poses the greatest risk to power infrastructure, according to utility officials.
“When ice starts building up on our power lines and on the tree limbs, it also causes weight. The additional weight can cause the wires to cause too much weight on the wires as well as on the tree limbs,” said Jerry Drazny, a lineman for Flint Energies.
Flint Energies, which serves 73% of Houston County’s approximately 95,000 customers, has strengthened its infrastructure since previous winter events.
“We built extra infrastructure. We’ve added some substations within the area to help with that that we experienced on that Christmas Eve a few years ago. So I think we’re in better shape than we have been in the past,” Drazny said.
Georgia Power has deployed smart technology including drones to monitor power lines and assist with rapid response to outages. The company says it updates its outage map every 10 minutes at georgiapower.com/outage.
“We’re already working remotely to make sure our damage assessment teams are using our smart technology, like our drones and our smart devices to switch on power remotely where and when we can,” Arnold said.
Both companies urge residents to prepare for potential outages by charging devices, gathering emergency supplies, and staying off roads during severe weather.
“If we did experience the forecast change and we did receive a significant amount of ice and we started going to a multiple day outage, we’re going to be running 24/7,” Drazny said.
Officials recommend residents have non-perishable food, water, medications, flashlights, and batteries on hand. They also suggest closing doors to unused rooms and placing towels under doorways to block drafts if power fails.
Georgia Power customers can monitor outages by entering their zip code on the company’s outage map. Flint Energies customers should call the company directly to report outages.
Power company officials emphasize the importance of avoiding downed power lines and reporting any safety hazards to 911.
“Please stay safe and please stay off of the roads. We don’t know how bad this storm is going to be, so just make sure you’re staying off of the roads and staying safe and warm,” Arnold said.
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