As Hurricane Michael clears Georgia, Georgia Power begins its first day of full-scale damage assessment Thursday.

There has been significant damage due to high winds, heavy rain and fallen trees in the hardest hit areas including Albany, Americus, Bainbridge, Macon, Valdosta, Vidalia and other areas leaving nearly 175,000 customers without power. Damage assessment marks the first phase of the restoration process and Georgia Power has crews in the field assessing damage to begin the restoration process, followed by repair crews.

Georgia Power reminds customers that dangerous conditions exist following a storm.

After the storm safety tips:

·         Watch for downed wires. Downed power lines may be hidden by debris or fallen trees.

·         Never touch any downed wire or attempt to remove tree branches from power lines – it can kill.

·         Don’t step in standing water or saturated ground where downed lines may be present. They could be electrified.

·         Avoid chain link fences. They may be electrified by a downed line out of sight and conduct electricity over great distances.

·         Watch for Georgia Power crews working across the state. If driving, move over one lane for utility vehicles stopped on the side of the road – it’s the law in Georgia.

·         Protect electronics and appliances. Disconnect or turn off any appliances that will start automatically when power returns to avoid overloading circuits when power is restored.