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BARNESVILLE — Southern Rivers Energy is prepared and ready to respond in anticipation of Hurricane Helene’s arrival late this evening. The hurricane is forecasted to make landfall as a Category 4 storm on Florida's Gulf Coast before moving through Georgia, bringing heavy rainfall, strong winds, and the possibility of tornadoes. With forecasts predicting significant damage, Southern Rivers Energy has mobilized key personnel, stocked trucks with essential supplies and equipment, and secured additional crews from Lumbee River Electric Membership Corporation in North Carolina to assist in restoration efforts.

We urge our members to prepare by securing homes, charging devices, stocking up on non-perishable food, and ensuring access to bottled water, medications and gasoline. Use portable power banks to keep your phones charged and stay informed via weather apps and local news sources. We anticipate significant damage and widespread outages, so we strongly recommend that members take precautions and plan for the possibility of being without power for up to 10 days.

"Some meteorologists say Hurricane Helene could be the storm the 2024 hurricane season is remembered for, so we’re taking this threat seriously and encourage our members to as well,” said Michael McMillan, SRE President/CEO. “In 2017, Hurricane Irma was a Tropical Storm when it hit our service area knocking out power to 80% of our meters and restoration took nearly five days. Hurricane Helene has the potential to produce hurricane force winds and record rainfall in our area so everyone needs to be prepared for the worst.” SRE stresses the importance for anyone with medical needs (i.e.: oxygen tanks, refrigerated medicine, medical equipment) to prepare for extended outages. For more important helpful tips and resources when preparing for a storm, visit https://www.ready.gov/power-outages.

Due to the size and scope of the storm, normal outage-reporting processes may be overwhelmed. However, thanks to our automated metering and outage management systems, we are notified immediately when your meter loses power, and your outage is automatically entered into our system. Crews are staged and ready to begin restoring power as soon as it is safe to do so. Please remember to stay away from downed power lines and anything touching them. We also ask for your prayers for the safety of our crews.

To view the real-time outage map, visit https://outage.southernriversenergy.com:82.

You can also check for updates on Facebook, X or visit southernriversenergy.com.

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Southern Rivers Energy (SRE) is a consumer-owned cooperative providing electricity and related services to approximately 17,000 members in parts of Bibb, Coweta, Crawford, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Pike, Spalding and Upson counties. For more information, visit southernriversenergy.com or the SRE Facebook page.