Overnight storms leave thousands in Alabama without power
A wave of storms that rumbled through Alabama late Thursday into Friday morning downed trees while leaving thousands without power.
At 6:30 a.m. Friday, about 64,750 Alabama Power customers had lost power, said Michael Jordan, spokesman for the utility. That number dwindled throughout the day as crews worked to repair damage.
By 1:30 p.m. Friday, about 9,900 Alabama Power remained without service in central Alabama as a result of early morning severe weather, Jordan said. Statewide, there were 22,000 APC customers without power.
Outages Friday afternoon were concentrated in the following areas:
Elmore County – 5,400 customers
Tallapoosa County – 1,700 customers
Butler County – 1,800 customers
Lee County - 350 customers
Bullock County – 280 customers
Fewer, scattered outages also existed in Chilton and Lowndes Counties.
More resources were still arriving in the area to help with the power restoration effort.
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With the amount of tree and limb damage, the power company provided the following safety reminders:
Stay away from downed lines. Do not drive over lines or under low-hanging lines. Always assume power lines are energized.
Keep children and pets away from downed lines.
Stay clear of areas with fallen trees or limbs where downed lines may be hidden.
Exercise caution near chain link fences. Dangerous lines may touch the metal.
Avoid stepping in puddles and standing water after a storm as they may be touching hidden, downed power lines and be electrified.
Do not attempt to remove tree limbs or anything else caught in power lines. Call us at 1-800-888-2726 or contact a local law enforcement agency if downed lines are spotted.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Overnight storms leave thousands in Alabama without power