Alabama Power continues progress in restoring service following damaging storms
Alabama Power crews are working hard in some difficult areas to restore power to the remaining customers who lost service during Easter Sunday storms. (Dennis Washington / Alabama NewsCenter)
Alabama Power crews made significant progress overnight, continuing to restore service to customers affected by the massive storms that pummeled the Deep South over the weekend and spawned an estimated 60 tornadoes across more than a dozen states.
At 11 a.m. today, crews had restored service to more than 90 percent of the 312,000 Alabama Power customers affected by the storms. The company expects to have power on for 99 percent of all customers who can take service by the end of the day Wednesday.
Alabama Power quickly and safely restoring service after Easter storms from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
The storms, which caused tremendous damage from Texas into the Carolinas, destroyed homes and businesses, knocked down trees and power poles and also caused flash flooding. More than 30 deaths have been attributed to the storms and tornadoes, which were still affecting some states as late as Monday afternoon. No one was killed by the storms in Alabama.
Alabama Power crews have been joined by more than 700 additional line crews and support personnel from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas for the final push to restore service in the hardest-hit areas. Those areas include portions of Jefferson, Blount, Etowah, Walker, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa counties.
With work ongoing, crews already have had to replace more than 250 poles, nearly 170 transformers and more than 1,300 spans of wire in Alabama Power’s service territory because of the storms, which took all day Sunday and into the wee hours Monday before they finally passed through the state.
Alabama Power crews have worked around the clock since it was safe to do so to restore power to customers. In some places, crews had to cut through downed trees and clear blocked roads, in coordination with emergency responders, before they could reach damaged infrastructure and begin restoring service.
As company personnel continue to focus on restoring power to customers in the hardest-hit locations, Alabama Power asks the public to please steer clear of working crews and to practice a safe social distance of at least 6 feet.
Customers in hard-hit areas also should stay aware for potentially dangerous conditions, such as downed power lines. Customers are strongly advised against removing downed trees, limbs and debris that could be hiding downed lines. Call Alabama Power at 1-800-888-2726 or contact local law enforcement to report any hazards.
For information about how to prepare for storms and how to stay safe during and after severe weather, please visit the online Alabama Power Storm Center.
