Jackson EMC is assisting Blue Ridge Mountain Electric Membership Corporation with power restoration efforts in northeast Georgia, where heavy rain, strong winds and severe thunderstorms on Saturday resulted in widespread power outages for members. Jackson EMC sent 16 linemen earlier today to assist with the restoration efforts.

As of noon Sunday, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC reported 150 outages in Cherokee, Clay, Fannin, Towns and Union counties affecting more than 5,700 members of the co-op. At its peak, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC reported around 14,000 meters throughout its five-county service area were without power.

The storms on Saturday also affected some Jackson EMC members. Approximately 1,800 members across a 10-county service area experienced an outage. Once power was restored to those members, Jackson EMC linemen were available to help Blue Ridge Mountain EMC with its power restoration efforts.

A principle of co-ops is cooperation among cooperatives. Keeping with that principle, when asked, Jackson EMC provides fellow co-ops assistance with power restoration efforts following major outages.

Jackson Electric Membership Corporation, the largest electric cooperative in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation, is headquartered 50 miles northeast of Atlanta in Jefferson, Ga. The cooperative serves more than 230,000 meters on 14,132 miles of energized wire. For more information, visit jacksonemc.com.