Progress continues in restoring service following devastating storms in Alabama
Alabama Power crews have been working to restore power to those who lost service following the storms that passed through the state Easter Sunday. (Dennis Washington / Alabama NewsCenter)
In less than 20 hours, Alabama Power crews have restored service to more than a quarter-million customers as work increasingly focuses on the hardest-hit areas.
The Easter Sunday line of severe storms affected more than 310,000 customers – more than 20 percent of Alabama Power’s entire customer base. As of 7 p.m., more than 260,000 customers had service restored.
As Alabama Power crews concentrate on areas with the most damage, another 500 personnel are on their way to the state to help.
More than 30 people were killed across the South as the storms moved from Texas east toward the Atlantic. Thirteen states recorded damage, with more than 40 tornadoes reported.
Alabama Power restoring service as safely and as quickly as possible from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
In Alabama, while the storms contained isolated tornadoes, the majority of the outages were caused by strong straight-line winds, often gusting to more than 60 mph. The storms snapped trees and power poles, brought down power lines, and damaged homes and businesses.
Alabama Power crews went to work as soon as it was safe to do so, with the dangerous storm taking much of Sunday and into the wee hours Monday before it exited the state.
With damage still being reported to the company today, customers are asked to stay away from all downed lines and electrical equipment. Do not walk or drive over the lines, and do not drive underneath sagging wires. Please report all dangerous situations by calling Alabama Power at 1-800-888-2726.
Alabama Power also is asking the public to steer clear of crews working to restore service, and to stay a safe social distance of at least 6 feet away due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
To check the status of an outage, and for more information about staying safe before, during and after storms, please visit the Alabama Power Storm Center.
