SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – According to Georgia Power, Hurricane Helene is the most destructive hurricane in the company’s history. Crews are steadily working to turn your lights back on right now.
WSAV saw linemen in action on Tuesday, working on Eisenhower Drive to restore power there.
Across the state, millions of people are still in their homes with no air conditioning and no way of cooking a meal or keeping food cold.
That’s why 11,000 Georgia Power linemen have been working day and night to restore power, in addition to several other companies that serve the region.
On Georgia Power’s social media pages, one lineman said, “This is probably the worst storm I’ve been on damage wise. Just the amount of trees that have fallen and the poles that are broken.”
Another said, “This storm is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
So far, the company has seen roughly 1,000 snapped polls, 4,600 down wires and hundreds of transformers damaged.
Georgia Power spokesperson Matthew Kent said Georgia Power serves 2.7 million statewide.
As of Tuesday, power has been restored for 1 million customers.
“We had massive outages. And just in the Savannah region, we still have about 90,000 out of power. Crews are converging on the area to restore power as quickly as possible,” Kent said. “It is a huge undertaking to get all of that done.”
Kent said each repair can take hours, but they have help from Alabama Power and Mississippi Power. According to Kent, the number one thing Georgia Power is asking for right now is patience from its customers as crews work safely and effectively.
“The top value is safety,” he said. “We want to make sure that everybody is safe. We are days into this, and we expected this to be a days long response. So, when you see a lineman out in the street, maybe give them a wave, but let them do their work. They’re working to get your power back.”
They also want you to be safe. If you see any power lines, assume they are live.
As far as restoration times, Kent said they are seeing that power is being restored before the majority of estimated restoration times on their outage map.