VALDOSTA — As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Colquitt EMC reported that about 18,500 outages remain in the seven county coverage area. The number is down from 51,000 Monday morning.  

According to Sonya Aldridge, manager for marketing and member services, since Monday, Colquitt EMC’s crews and service personnel have been battling tough conditions and working to repair severe damage to power lines, power poles and equipment. 

Additional crews are coming from North Carolina and Arkansas to assist in the repairs. 

“Due to the severity of damages, we encourage members to prepare for a lengthy restoration process that could last for several days,” Aldridge stated in a release.

Georgia Power reported more than 7,600 customers affected by outages in Lowndes County as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the company’s outage map.

 

Thomas Lynn is a government and education reporter for The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be reached at (229)244-3400 ext. 1256