‘Our crews are ready:’ Georgia Power has crews in place for potential outages from Idalia

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Preparations have started all around the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry. Businesses like Georgia Power have started to stack their crews for the aftermath.

“The time to prepare is now, make sure your family preparedness plan is in place.”

The countdown to Idalia is on, and groups ranging from emergency to power crews are in the depth of severe weather prep. Tess Newton of Georgia Power says that they have already drafted a plan for the aftermath.

“Any severe weather, heavy rains, high winds, it’s something we are used to in the state of Georgia. Our crews are ready to hit the ground running as soon as it is safe too,” said Tessa Newton.

Georgia Power has placed specific crews around the state to cut back on response times.

“We are mobilizing our crews so what that means is strategically placing them, around the state, the places that we think are going to get the most impact, and that will be adjusted as we learn more.”

They are urging everyone in those areas to take steps now, to prevent them from struggling later. Make sure your phones are charged and generators are filled in case of power outages, and be aware of your risks.

Dr. Kim Zielke of Dedicated Senior Medical Center reminds those who may have heat sensitivities to be prepared to lose Air Conditioning and to make plans if that is something you may struggle with.

Dr. Zielke said “and most importantly without air conditioning, and if they are intolerant of that, that heat, where are they going to go? Do they have a place that they can stay or a place they can go?”

She also says that it’s important to make plans to have everything you may need for the next few weeks.

“The best thing they can do right now is to make sure they have all the medications they may need for the next week, call your pharmacy, and make sure they are well stocked.”

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