Georgia power outages: Power restored to nearly 170,000 residents after early morning storms

ATLANTA — Sunday severe storms left destructive paths across metro Atlanta and Georgia, leaving many residents without power.

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Georgia Power customers may have received a pop-up notifying them that early morning storms caused power outages across the state.

The power company says crews are actively working to respond to outages safely and as quickly as possible.

Around 2 p.m., officials said power had been restored to nearly 170,000 customers. The fast results were made possible as crews use “smart grid” technology that enabled remote restoration and switching in many locations, even while the storm was underway.

The company damage assessment teams have reported 110 broken or damaged poles, 300 spans of downed wire and dozens of damaged transformers. Almost 1,300 individual cases of damage remain, which includes blown fuses, other protective devices, or damage from continuing windy conditions. Crews continue to work to remove fallen limbs and trees and make repairs.

Our crews are continuing to work safely to restore power in the hardest hit areas. The intense rainfall left the ground saturated, which causes entire trees to fall and hit power lines - often from well off of our right of way where we actively trim. The damage our crews are… pic.twitter.com/8vGv0CkX2V
— Georgia Power (@GeorgiaPower) February 16, 2025

The Coweta-Fayette EMC says there have been extensive power outages in its coverage area due to the storms. The company says it has gone from 17,000 homes without power to 7,000. Crews can spot issues and restore power quickly during daylight hours.

Noon UPDATE: Crews have made significant progress restoring power across the service area. We’re down from >17,000 early this morning to around 7,000 remaining without power.
Crews are able to spot issues & restore power much quicker now that they are working in daylight hours. pic.twitter.com/t8kTo1dfXH
— Coweta-Fayette EMC (@CoFayEMC) February 16, 2025

Always assume that a downed power line is energized and move away to safety. While some engergzed wires spark and snap, others may not appear dangerous.

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