As Hurricane Laura continued to sweep through Louisiana Thursday morning, Georgia Power and Georgia EMC responded to requests for assistance by sending crews to help restore power after the storm.
“Co-ops in Louisiana are reporting significant damage and requesting as many crews from Georgia as possible to help in the restoration effort,” said Harry Reeves, vice president of training, education and safety with Georgia EMC. “In some cases, 100 percent of systems are without power.”
Some areas of the state experienced winds in excess of 100 mph along with heavy rain and flooding that has damaged the electric infrastructure, Reeves said. EMC crews will take tools and equipment to assist in restoration efforts as part of mutual aid agreements between almost 1,000 electrical cooperatives across the country.
Early Thursday, Georgia Power crews also headed to the area for assistance at the request of Entergy Louisiana. The crews will help identify trouble spots and the resources needed for repair with efforts focused on returning power to the most customers in the least amount of time.
In the past crews from other states have come to the aid of Georgia Power specifically during Hurricanes Michael and Irma. This time, Georgia has escaped the wrath of Hurricane Laura, but as remnants of the storm pass to the north, meteorologists expect an increase in showers and thunderstorms here, though it may not seem any different than any other day this week.
“We could see a little more influence on Friday and Saturday as storms keep passing, said Lauren Reaves, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. “We are in a wet pattern and it doesn’t look like it will lose influence from the remnants of Laura,” she said, but “even after that system passes well northeast of us, we still have the chance for rain.”
Officials at the Georgia Emergency Management Agency said they had not received any requests for assistance.
