(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 16, 2017) Nearly all of Jackson EMC’s 222,000 members now have power. The remaining 66 outages, which impact 137 members, are being addressed. Jackson EMC has restored power to 1,196 members since yesterday at 4:30 p.m.; 123,640 members since the start of the storm Monday, Sept. 11.

As of 9 a.m. Saturday, remaining outages are primarily in Hall County where 119 members remain without power. We also have outages in Lumpkin (15); Madison (1); Gwinnett (1); and Jackson (1) counties. For a detailed list of outages, visit www.jacksonemc.com/storm.

Jackson EMC has been fortunate to have had assistance from 31 Cooperatives and contractors from across the U.S. including: North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and from Georgia’s own cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC. In all, we have more than 800 people focused on restoring power for our members.

As our restoration efforts are winding down, we are looking for those areas still in need of assistance so we can now help them restore power in their areas.

Any customer who feels they still have an unsafe situation should report it at the cooperative’s website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

Friday, September 15

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 4:30 p.m. 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 15, 2017) Jackson EMC has restored power to all but about 1,300 members. We have restored power to 123,640 members since the start of the storm Monday, Sept. 11.

Remaining outages are primarily in Hall and Lumpkin counties, where we saw the most significant damage. Downed trees and broken poles have slowed restoration efforts. So far, Jackson EMC has replaced 178 broken poles.

As of 4:30 p.m., we have 1,379 outages in:

Hall 836

Lumpkin 574

Banks 15

Gwinnett 10

Jackson 8

Barrow 6

Madison 4

Clarke 1

Franklin 0

Oglethorpe 0

We will continue working around the clock to restore power to the remaining isolated outages and feel confident we will restore power to the remainder of our members this weekend, with the possible exception of members who have damage to their service entrance, which will require a private electrician.

Jackson EMC has been fortunate to have had assistance from 31 Cooperatives and contractors from across the U.S. including: North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and from Georgia’s own cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC. In all, we have more than 800 people focused on restoring power for our members.

Any customer who feels they still have an unsafe situation should report it at the cooperative’s website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

 

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 10 a.m.

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 15, 2017) Jackson EMC has restored power to all but about 2,600 members. We have restored nearly 2,500 members since 6 p.m. yesterday; 123,640 members since the start of the storm Monday, Sept. 11.

“While restoration efforts have taken longer than we had hoped, we are thankful our area didn’t see the devastation of a level 1 Hurricane with 75 mph winds, which was projected for our area,” said Joe Dorough, Jackson EMC vice president of engineering and operations. “When forecasts threaten power outages, we begin reaching out for aid from contractors and other cooperatives. Due to the magnitude of this storm, and the proximity to Hurricane Harvey, assistance has been slower to arrive despite the nearly week-long preparation.”

Jackson EMC has been fortunate to receive assistance from 31 cooperates and contractors from across the U.S. including: North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and from Georgia’s own cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC.

As of 10 a.m., we have outages in:

Hall 1,573

Lumpkin 756

Banks 161

Jackson 127

Barrow 29

Gwinnett 14

Clarke 11

Franklin 0

Madison 0

Oglethorpe 0

Today, we will be restoring the remaining isolated outages, and feel confident we will restore power to the remainder of our members by the end of the day, with the possible exception of members who have damage to their service entrance, which will require a private electrician.

Any customer who feels they still have an unsafe situation should report it at the cooperative’s website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

 

Thursday, September 14

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 6 p.m. 

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 14, 2017)  Jackson EMC has now restored power to 97 percent of our 222,000 members after a devastating tropical storm swept through our service area Monday, September 11. Approximately 4,800 members remain without power. Linemen will continue working through the night restoring power to members.

Remaining outages remain in areas of extreme damage, including broken poles and fallen trees that must be removed to begin work. To assist Jackson EMC’s workforce in restoration efforts, more than 600 linemen from cooperatives across the country are helping restore power for those affected. Linemen are from: North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and from Georgia’s own cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC.

At 6 p.m. Thursday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 963 individual outages affecting 4,890 members.

As of 6 p.m., we have outages in:

Hall 3,125

Lumpkin 853

Banks 431

Jackson 265

Barrow 158

Clarke 37

Gwinnett 16

Madison 5

Franklin 0

Oglethorpe 0

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm.

We will be restoring the remaining outages, and feel confident we will restore power to the remainder of our members by the end of the day Friday, with the possible exception of members who have damage to their service entrance, which will require a private electrician.

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates until the last outages are cleared.

 

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 8 A.M.

Jackson EMC worked through the night, restoring power for thousands more members affected by the tropical storm that swept through our service area Monday, September 11. At the end of the day Monday, 30 percent of Jackson EMC’s 222,000 members were without power. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, four percent of those members affected by the storm remain without power, or approximately 8,500.

Seventy linemen from North Carolina and Tennessee cooperatives will join the hundreds already working alongside Jackson EMC personnel to assemble a workforce of more than 820 focused on restoring power for those still affected by the destruction from Monday’s storm. The group now includes linemen from: Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio, and from Georgia’s own cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC.

Hall County remains the area with the greatest number of affected members, with 4,747 members without power. The intensity of wind, and resulting falling trees and broken poles, are slowing restoration efforts. So far, crews have identified 148 broken poles. This number could continue to grow. On average, it takes four hours to replace each pole.

At 8 a.m. Thursday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 963 individual outages affecting 8,551 members.

As of 8 a.m., we have outages in:

Hall 4,747

Banks 1,226

Lumpkin 985

Jackson 865

Barrow 514

Gwinnett 95

Clarke 79

Madison 21

Franklin 23

Oglethorpe 0

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm. Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates until the last outages are cleared.

Wednesday, September 14

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 9:30 p.m.

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 13, 2017) Jackson EMC will work through the night continuing to restore outages for members who remain without power. At the height of the storm Monday, 115,209 members reported outages. As of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, approximately 10,000 members remain without power.

Jackson EMC will add 70 more linemen from North Carolina and Tennessee to its workforce tomorrow to assist with restoration efforts. With these additional linemen, the workforce focused on restoring power for members is now 820-strong made up of Jackson EMC personnel, contractors and additional crews from cooperatives from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, and from Georgia cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC.

The majority of outages remain in Hall County, where 6,142 members are without power. Fallen trees and broken poles are slowing restoration efforts system-wide. So far, crews have identified 148 broken poles. The average time to replace a broken pole is four hours; we still have 78 poles to replace.

“As we continue to discover broken poles during our restoration effort, this is shaping up to be one of the most devastating storms to ever hit our service area,” said Joe Dorough, Jackson EMC vice president of engineering and operations. “Only the weight of ice on our lines has caused an outage affecting this many of our members in the past.”

At 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,153 individual outages affecting 10,775 members.

As of 9:30 p.m., we have outages in:

Hall 5,884

Jackson 1,567

Banks 1,356

Lumpkin 1,095

Barrow 535

Clarke 153

Gwinnett 121

Madison 41

Franklin 23

Oglethorpe 0

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates until the last outages are cleared.

UPDATE AT 1:30 p.m.

Jackson EMC continues to restore outages for members affected by the storm that blew through our service area Monday, Sept. 11. At the height of the storm, 115,209 members reported outages. Today, Jackson EMC has a workforce of 750 made up of Jackson EMC personnel, contractors and additional crews from cooperatives from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, and from Georgia cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC.

Hall County is still reporting the majority of the outages, currently reporting 9,368 members without power. Fallen trees and broken poles are slowing restoration efforts. So far, crews have identified 125 broken poles; 40 have been repaired. The average time to replace a broken pole is four hours.

At 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,270 individual outages affecting 17,829 members.

As of 1:30 p.m., we have outages in:

Hall 9,352

Jackson 2,447

Banks 1,859

Lumpkin 1,323

Barrow 1,325

Gwinnett 967

Clarke 339

Madison 193

Franklin 24

Oglethorpe 0

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm 

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates until the last outages are cleared.

UPDATE AT 9 a.m.

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 13, 2017) Today, Jackson EMC nearly doubles the crews working to restore outages with additional crews arriving from co-operatives in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, and from Georgia cooperatives GreyStone Power and Carroll EMC. With these additional resources, Jackson EMC has a combined workforce of 750 working to restore outages.

Crews working overnight were able to restore power for thousands more members, reducing the number of outages from more than 60,000 at the start of the day Tuesday to roughly 20,000 today.

Hall County remains the area with the most significant outages, currently reporting more than 10,000 members without power. Throughout Jackson EMC’s service area, crews are encountering thousands of downed trees, limbs and damaged equipment in the field. System-wide we’ve identified dozens of pieces of damaged equipment so far, including more than 70 broken poles. The average time to replace a broken pole is four hours, which is one reason restoration times are delayed for some members.

At 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,356 individual outages affecting 20,083 members.

As of 9 a.m., we have outages in:

Hall 10,201

Jackson 3,146

Banks 2,006

Lumpkin 1,340

Barrow 1,133

Gwinnett 1,526

Madison 317

Clarke 380

Franklin 25

Oglethorpe 0

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm 

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates until the last outages are cleared.

Tuesday, September 12

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 8:30 p.m.

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 12, 2017) Jackson EMC continues to restore outages, reducing the number of outages to roughly 23,000, down from more than 60,000 at 7 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

We made significant progress in Gwinnett County on Tuesday, restoring power for thousands of members. However, in our hardest hit area in Hall County, restoration remains challenging.

Crews are encountering thousands of downed trees, limbs and damaged equipment in the field. System-wide we’ve identified dozens of pieces of damaged equipment so far, including more than 70 broken poles. The average time to replace a broken pole is four hours, which is one reason restoration times are delayed for some members.

Jackson EMC has brought in additional crews, from neighboring cooperatives here in Metro-Atlanta, and as far away as Minnesota, creating a combined workforce with our employees of more than 750-strong.

At 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,650 individual outages affecting 23,428 members.

As of 8:30 p.m., we have outages in:

Hall 11,122

Jackson 3,845

Gwinnett 2,644

Banks 1,781

Lumpkin 1,605

Barrow 1,261

Clarke 633

Madison 510

Franklin 25

Oglethorpe 0

Crews will continue to work through the night, and it is our goal to restore most Jackson EMC members’ power by the end of the day Wednesday. For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm.

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates until the last outages are cleared.

 

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 1 p.m.

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 12, 2017) Jackson EMC works to restore outages today, reducing the number of outages to 39,601, down from more than 60,000 at 7 a.m.

In addition to our own full-time line crews, we have 200 crew members assisting with restoration efforts and an additional 175 on the way from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota and from our sister Georgia cooperative neighbor GreyStone Power.

At 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,546 individual outages affecting 39,601 members.

As of 1 p.m., we have outages in:

Hall 16,100

Gwinnett 5,968

Jackson 5,083

Barrow 4,259

Banks 3,642

Clarke 1,512

Madison 1,558

Lumpkin 1,330

Franklin 92

Oglethorpe 0

It is our goal to restore most Jackson EMC members’ power within 24 hours. For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm 

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the day until the last outages are cleared.

 

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 10 a.m.

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 12, 2017) At the height of Hurricane Irma Monday at 6 p.m., Jackson EMC reported 115,209 members affected across our 10-county service area. Currently we have 51,551 members without power.

In addition to our own full-time line crews, we have 200 crew members assisting with restoration efforts and an additional 175 on the way from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota and from our sister Georgia cooperative neighbor GreyStone Power.

At 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,584 individual outages affecting 51,551 members.

As of 10 a.m., we have outages in:

Hall 18,861

Gwinnett 11,550

Jackson 6,313

Barrow 5,720

Banks 3,760

Clarke 2,364

Madison 1,599

Lumpkin 1,292

Franklin 92

Oglethorpe 0

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm.

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the day until the last outages are cleared.

 

OUTAGE UPDATE AT 7 a.m.

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 12, 2017) Jackson EMC linemen worked through the night to restore power to members, resolving thousands of individual outages during the storm Monday. Linemen will continue working until all outages are repaired. Because many of these outages involve fallen trees, we expect extended outages in areas with the worst damage.

At 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,444 individual outages affecting 61,403 members.

As of 7 a.m., we have outages in:

Hall 20,929

Gwinnett 18,610

Jackson 6,825

Barrow 5,682

Banks 3,735

Clarke 2,364

Lumpkin 1,566

Madison 1,547

Franklin 92

Oglethorpe 1

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm.

In addition to our own crews who are working, Jackson EMC now has 200 additional crew members from contractors and neighboring utilities. These crews are working side-by-side with our own linemen to remove damaged trees and limbs and making outage repairs as quickly as conditions and safety allow. We have 150 more crew members on the way from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana.

Members of the public should take care while emergency repairs are underway. Avoid downed power lines, and keep in mind that downed trees and limbs may be entangled with live power lines. If you come upon a fallen power line, assume that it is electrically charged. This includes cable TV feeds and telephone lines. Report any downed line to your power company. Report an outage to Jackson EMC at 1-800-245-4044 or by visiting outage.jacksonemc.com.

Take proper precautions when using a generator. Place the generator outside the home, as CO fumes are odorless and can quickly overwhelm you indoors. Also, never connect generators to another power source such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or ‘backfeed’ can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.

Members may report outages from their computer or mobile device on the website, www.jacksonemc.com, or by calling 1-800-245-4044.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the day until the last outages are cleared.

 

Monday, September 11

UPDATE AT 10 p.m.

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 11, 2017) At 10 p.m., Jackson EMC had 2,371 outages impacting 63,251 members. Linemen are working through the night, but due to hazardous working conditions we expect restoring outages to take several days in the areas with the worst damage.

As of 10 p.m., we have outages in:

Hall 21,886

Gwinnett 17,247

Jackson 7,427

Barrow 5,845

Banks 3,891

Madison 2,503

Clarke 2,215

Lumpkin 2,161

Franklin 93

Oglethorpe 1

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm

In addition to our own crews who are working, Jackson EMC now has 200 additional crew members from contractors and neighboring utilities. These crews are working side-by-side with our own linemen to remove damaged trees and limbs. We have 150 additional crew members on the way from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana.

Safety is our top priority. We want our members and employees to be safe. Beware of fallen power lines. If you come upon a fallen power line, assume that it is electrically charged. This includes cable TV feeds and telephone lines. Report any downed line to your power company. Report an outage to Jackson EMC at 1-800-245-4044 or by visiting outage.jacksonemc.com.

 

UPDATE AT 6 p.m.:

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 11, 2017) At 6 p.m., nearly 30 percent of Jackson EMCs 222,000 members were without power. Strong winds causing trees to fall into power lines is the main cause of outages. Weather conditions are expected to be extreme throughout the night and we expect outage numbers to increase throughout the night and into tomorrow. Due to hazardous working conditions, we expect restoring outages in the areas with the worst damage to take several days.

At 6 p.m. Monday Jackson EMC is experiencing 1,747 individual outages affecting 66,717 members.

As of 6 p.m., we have outages in:

Gwinnett 27,998

Hall 16,076

Jackson 9,404

Barrow 5,338

Banks 3,368

Clarke 3,021

Madison 941

Lumpkin 471

Franklin 41

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm.

In addition to our own crews who are working, Jackson EMC now has 200 additional crew members from contractors and neighboring utilities. These crews are working side-by-side with our own linemen to remove damaged trees and limbs. We have 150 additional crew members on the way from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the day.

 

UPDATE AT 3:45 p.m.:

 

(JEFFERSON, GA. Sept. 11, 2017 - UPDATE 3:45 p.m.) - Increasing wind gusts and rain are causing additional outages for Jackson EMC members. At 3:30 p.m. Monday, Jackson EMC is experiencing 718 individual outages affecting 22,916, up from 4,055 members at 1 p.m. today. Today, linemen have repaired more than 100 individual outages, restoring power to 15,018 members.

Wind speeds of 35-45 mph have been registered in our service area, and we anticipate winds will increase as the day goes on. Linemen will work to restore outages as quickly as conditions and safety procedures allow. Sustained winds may cause outage numbers to climb throughout the day and into the evening.

As of 3:45 p.m., we have outages in:

Gwinnett 8,549

Jackson 4,743

Hall 3,627

Barrow 2,675

Clarke 1,411

Banks 1,261

Madison 360

Lumpkin 6

Franklin  5

For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm

In addition to our own crews who are working, Jackson EMC now has 200 additional crew members from contractors and neighboring utilities. These crews are working side-by-side with our own linemen to remove damaged trees and limbs. We have 120 additional crew members on the way from Pennsylvania and Ohio.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the day.

 

UPDATE AT 1 p.m.:

 

Gusting winds associated with Hurricane Irma are causing some outages for Jackson EMC members. At 1 p.m. Monday Jackson EMC is experiencing 90 individual outages affecting 4,055 members across our 10-county service area. Wind speeds of 35-45 mph have been registered in our service areas and we expect wind speeds to increase as the day goes on. Sustained winds may cause outage numbers to climb throughout the day and into the evening.

As of 1 p.m., we have outages in Hall (1,855), Gwinnett (1,566), Jackson (439) Barrow (106), Banks (58), Madison (26), Clarke (5). For real-time outage information, look at the outage map available here: www.jacksonemc.com/storm

In addition to our own crews who are working, Jackson EMC now has 200 additional crew members from contractors and neighboring utilities. These crews are working side-by-side with our own linemen to remove damaged trees and limbs, and make outage repairs as quickly as safety practices and conditions allow.

Resources:

• Report Outages. Jackson EMC members should report outages at 1-800-245-4044 or by visiting outage.jacksonemc.com.
• Storm Center. Outage updates are available at: news.jacksonemc.com/outages.
• Outage Map. Available in the Storm Center, the Outage Map provides real-time information on outages. www.jacksonemc.com/storm
• @JacksonEMC on Twitter – Follow @JacksonEMC on Twitter for storm tips and outage updates, Or like us on Facebook JacksonEMC.

We will continue to provide updates throughout the day.