HALL COUNTY, Ga. — Crews at Jackson EMC have loaded their trucks and are ready to roll out to repair any powerlines, poles or transformers damaged by the winter storm that will hit north Georgia starting Friday morning.
“We have all hands on deck. We’re making sure everything is ready to go so when the storm comes in, we are ready to respond to whatever happens,” Jackson EMC representative Kerri Testament said.
Jackson EMC is the largest electric cooperative in Georgia. It serves 270,000 customers in 10 counties.
At their facility in Hall County, mechanics made one last check of utility trucks to make sure they will stand up to the harsh weather.
“Every truck is equipped with a chain. I try to keep spares to increase the uptime of crews,” Jackson EMC mechanic Anthony Griddle said.
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Griddle spent Thursday repairing crucial parts of one truck.
“Stuff like this. That’s a 20-foot hydraulic line. You don’t want to be changing that tomorrow in the snow,” Griddle told Channel 2’s Tom Regan as he showed him the truck.
Hall County could receive several inches of snow before the storm moves out of north Georgia. But what crews worry about the most, is freezing rain clinging to trees and powerlines.
“Ice accumulation is one of our biggest safety concerns. So, you want to make sure the roads are safe enough for our crews to get out and respond to power outages,” Testament said.
If there are significant power outages, Jackson EMC will contract with independent utility crews to fix power lines.
They advise the public to call 911 and the power company if they spot a downed powerline and be sure to stay a safe distance away.
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