South Georgia neighbors relieved to have power restored after Hurricane Helene

VALDOSTA, Ga. — Many power crews that aided Valdosta in recovering from Hurricane Helene have now moved on to Florida to offer the same assistance. While most Valdosta residents have regained power, the damage to their homes remains substantial.

Channel 2′s Tyisha Fernandes visited the area to talk to neighbors still in need of help.

Vivian Foster expressed her surprise at the quick restoration of power.

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“They’re doing good,” she said, noting she was grateful Georgia Power crews had their lights back on just three days after the hurricane hit. “It woke me up – I made it through, we all made it through, but it was bad, she came through here and showed out.”

Foster watched power crews working tirelessly day and night for two weeks, despite sustaining damage to their own homes.

“Thanks to the fellas doing all the hard work in Valdosta, Georgia, thank you, appreciate it,” she added.

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The storm took down 8,000 utility poles across the state, many of which in Lowndes County.

“Been doing this 18 years, and this is the worst I attended,” one worker noted.

Georgia Power’s damage assessment teams keep circuit maps updated to efficiently guide linemen to repairs that still need to be made, ensuring no time is wasted.

A Georgia Power lineman said he felt a sense of joy when locals celebrated the return of service to their community before even confirming it with the control center.

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