WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — Have you ever wondered what happens when the power goes out? Well, when an outage is reported in your neighborhood, it is sent to a systems operations center where they are notified and crews are sent to your home. So, if you see downed powerlines in your area, don't touch them.
"Electricity don't just say, 'Hey, I'm hot.' You know you can't see electricity, so that's why it's so important definitely not to touch it," Shane Malcom with Flint Energies said.
Malcom is a crew leader for Flint Energies, and he says they are planning who will be ready to work and if they will need backup in case any lights go out.
"It just depends on the severity of the winds and outages," Malcom said.
With some school switching to virtual learning ahead of Ian coming to our coverage area, Milagros Montouti with AT&T says they are protecting those systems from failing.
"We're providing that connectivity, but for the whole household. That is of the most important in the forefront of what we do with AT&T," Montouti said.
Chad Nation with Georgia Power says safety for their customers in Georgia come first.
"Make sure that you and your family have that talk before the storm. Know the risks that the storms may pose, and during the storm, make sure that you and your family, you all are in a safe and secure location away from windows and open doors," Nation said.
Georgia Power recommends that if you plan head out before the storm, check the forecast before you leave, prepare an emergency kit and make sure all cellular devices are fully charged. During the storm, stay away from windows and doors. After the storm, do not touch downed powerlines, and if you do see lines down, call your local electrical company.
You can sign up online for outage alerts at GeorgiaPower.com/storm or find your outage map at outagemap.georgiapower.com