Storm Update – Power Restoration in Progress
1:00 PM - Feb. 17 Update:
Our crews and contractors have made significant progress, reducing outages to 34, affecting 85 members—just over 2 meters per outage. That means crews must drive to 34 locations across six counties to repair lines that serve just over two meters per stop.
At this stage, the remaining outages are on shorter lines with only a few members per repair, making restoration slow and labor-intensive. We continue to push forward and will work until every member has power.
As always, damaged trees may continue to fall and create outages long after we have restored the last meter showing on the outage map. Our crews will be ready to respond to such issues during business hours and after.
Thank you for your patience and support as we complete the final restorations!
7:00 AM - Feb. 17 Update:
Overnight, we replaced an incredible number of poles thanks to our hardworking team and the additional crews, bringing our total to 25 broken poles.
We've made significant progress and will continue working through the morning.
Widespread tree damage remains the primary cause of outages. As mentioned last night, restoration is slow due to the low number of meters energized per repair. Imagine cutting trees for an hour, then repairing the lines for an hour just to be able to turn on one or two houses. Now do that a couple hundred more times.
Currently, 600 meters remain without power.
Rest assured, these incredible crews won't stop until power is restored.
10:30 PM - Feb. 16 Update:
This will be our last update until morning, but rest assured, crews are making steady progress and will continue working through the night and into tomorrow.
So far, 13 broken poles have been replaced, remaining the most time-consuming challenge. Widespread tree damage continues to be the primary cause of outages.
Currently, 2,184 meters remain without power, with the majority of outages concentrated in Monroe, Lamar, Pike, Meriwether and Spalding counties.
Most of the remaining outages are on smaller service lines that serve only a few members each, making repairs slower since they restore power to fewer members at a time.
Members may not always see trucks in their immediate area, but crews are working to restore power. Repairs begin at substations and main distribution lines before moving to smaller tap lines and individual service lines. This approach ensures power is restored to the greatest number of members as quickly as possible.
Due to high call volumes, members may experience delays when reporting an outage. If you've already reported your outage, there's no need to call again unless you experience new issues after power is restored.
Thank you for your patience and support as we work to restore power to all members.
7:30 PM - Feb. 16 Update:
Crews continue working tirelessly to restore power, with additional reinforcements arriving throughout the day. We now have support from Sumter EMC, Grady EMC, Excelsior EMC, Colquitt EMC, Ocmulgee EMC and Altamaha EMC, along with additional Sumter Utilities crews from North Georgia. This brings an extra 50 linemen and right-of-way clearing workers to assist in restoration efforts.
As restoration progresses, if the outage map is not showing your location and everyone around you has power but you don’t, first check your breaker panel to see if a breaker has tripped. If that’s not the issue, inspect your meter, service line, and weatherhead for damage. If everything looks intact, report your outage again at 866-244-4890.
While progress is being made, due to the extent of the damage, restoration will continue into the night and tomorrow.
We appreciate your patience as crews work as quickly and safely as possible. Please stay away from downed power lines. Thank you for your support, and keep our crews and our neighboring power companies in your prayers!
https://outage.southernriversenergy.com:82/
4:00 PM - Feb. 16 Update:
Additional EMC crews from Sumter, Grady, and Excelsior EMCs are now helping with restoration efforts along with contract crews from Sumter Utilities, Utilicon Services, and Harper’s Tree Service.
As of 4:00 PM, crews have restored power to more than 3,165 meters and identified at least 10 broken poles and large amounts of line torn down by fallen trees and limbs. A total of 94 separate outages affecting 5255 meters remain, and an extensive amount of tree damage must be cleared before crews can access and repair damaged infrastructure.
They are making progress, but some areas may not be restored until tomorrow evening due to the extent of the damage.
The areas identified as the hardest hit include:
Culloden – Hwy 341 South
Pike County – Blanton Mill Road, Turner Road, Hollonville Road, Wood Creek, and Patton Road
Meriwether County – Flat Shoals Road, Gay Road, 109 Spur, Cleggs Ferry, Primrose Road, and Roosevelt Hwy.
If you live in any of these areas, please prepare to be without power until tomorrow evening. Crews will continue working steadily and hope to make quicker progress with the help of additional crews, but it is currently a very slow process.
Please report outages using the Outage Hotline at 866-244-4890 and remember to stay away from downed power lines. Thank you for your patience, and please pray for the safety of all the line crews and tree-clearing crews working to restore power.
1:30 PM - Feb. 16 Update:
SRE crews and contractors are steadily restoring power across the system. Outages are down to approximately 6,100 members. We have 10 broken poles and large amounts of wire down. Our team will continue working tirelessly until every member has power restored. Please stay safe and avoid downed power lines.
10:00 AM - Feb. 16 Update:
SRE crews and contractors are in the field assessing damage and making repairs. We know many of you are without power, and we’re committed to restoring service as safely and quickly as possible. Please stay away from downed lines and report any hazards you see. We appreciate your patience and will keep you updated as work progresses. Visit our Facebook page for restoration and storm photos.
8:30 AM - Feb. 16 Update:
Crews are making progress, and outages are now down to 9,170. So far, we’ve found one broken pole and multiple trees and limbs down across our system. Additional contractors have been called in to assist with restoration efforts.
It’s going to be a long day of work, and we appreciate your patience. Please stay safe, avoid downed power lines, and allow crews to work as efficiently as possible. We will continue to provide updates as the day progresses.
7:00 AM - Feb. 16 Update:
We are experiencing extensive storm damage across our service area, with reports of downed trees and widespread outages. Currently, over 9,666 members are without power. As daylight increases, our crews will have a clearer assessment of the damage and restoration timeline.
6:00 AM- Feb. 16 Update:
The severe storms that moved through around 5:30 AM have left approximately 10,000 meters without power. Restoration will take time, and some areas may be without power well into the night, depending on the extent of tree damage. All Southern Rivers Energy crews are actively working outages, with contract and right-of-way crews en route to assist.
Please stay safe, avoid downed power lines, and limit travel in affected areas. We will provide another update around lunchtime as we reassess the situation.