Georgia Power encourages customers to take action during National Preparedness Month

ATLANTA, Sept. 1, 2021

Georgia Power is a member of the mutual assistance network. As part of this partnership, Georgia Power is able to respond and offer assistance, providing reinforcements when needed to restore power quickly for other utilities. The company is also able to tap into this mutual assistance network if additional resources are needed to help restore power to Georgia Power customers following a major storm.

While the state has already weathered several tropical storms, and September is the height of the Atlantic Hurricane Season, National Preparedness Month encourages advance preparation for all types of potential emergencies in homes, businesses and schools.

Georgia Power reminds customers to keep safety first and take time now to prepare. The company offers the following tips to help keep families safe ahead of an emergency:

• Build an emergency kit – Gather supplies that will last for several days for everyone living in your home. Don't forget to consider the unique needs each person or pet may have in case you have to evacuate quickly. Check out Georgia Power's video about the supplies to collect to build and maintain a robust emergency kit.
• Have an emergency plan – Talk to your friends and family about how you will communicate in an emergency. Make sure to update your plan based on the Centers for Disease Control recommendations due to the coronavirus.
• Understand your risks – Learn more about different threats from potential emergencies around your home and business and plan appropriate responses to them.

Severe weather can happen anytime across Georgia:

• Before a Storm: Know your risks of storm surge and tropical storm or hurricane strength winds. Check your emergency kit, unplug major appliances and charge cell phones in case you lose power.
• During a Storm: Have several ways to receive emergency notifications and weather updates. If your area is under an evacuation order, follow safety orders from local officials immediately.
• After a Storm: Never touch any downed or low-hanging wire, including telephone or TV wires that could touch a power line. Never pull tree limbs off power lines or enter areas with debris or downed trees as downed power lines may be buried in wreckage. Additionally, do not walk or drive through standing water as it may conceal live wires brought down by the storm.

Before severe weather strikes, customers are encouraged to become familiar with Georgia Power's Outage Map on www.georgiapower.com that makes tracking and reporting outage information on the go even easier. The Outage Map automatically adjusts to function on desktops, handhelds or mobile devices and has direct access to Georgia Power's social media channels. Additionally, users have greater search capabilities with concise alert information relating to their specific outage.