Georgia Power Thursday offered a number of tips for preparing for the winter storm expected to strike north Georgia over the next couple of days.
* Stock up on non-perishable foods, heating fuel and medications.
* Have a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and fresh batteries handy.
* Prepare older family members, friends or neighbors who live alone for the weather.
* Non-electric, unvented space heaters can be a hazard. Use them only in well-ventilated areas.
* If you use an electric generator, plug appliances directly into it. Never plug a generator directly into your home's electrical wiring.
* Disconnect or turn off appliances you were using when the power went off. Leave one light on to tell you when service is restored.
* Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers. Food will stay frozen in a fully loaded freezer for 36 to 48 hours if the door is closed. In a half-full freezer, food will keep 24 hours.
In addition, the utility offered these Tools You Can Use:
- Outage Alerts – Since its introduction in 2013, more than 163,000 Georgia Power customers have signed up for the free service and are receiving personalized notifications and updates via text message, phone call or email if storms interrupt power at their home or business.
- Outage & Storm Center – Available at www.georgiapower.com/storm, customers can visit this site to sign up for Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information categorized easily divided by before, during and after a storm.
- Outage Map – Housed within the Outage & Storm Center, Georgia Power’s interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are occurring across the state and track estimated restoration times. A popular destination for customers, the Outage Map logged an estimated 1.2 million-plus views in 2015.
- Georgia Power Mobile App – Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices for storm and outage information on the go. Use the app anytime to access account information and mobile bill payment options, as well as energy efficiency tools.
- @GeorgiaPower on Twitter – Follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.
