Power Outage From a Fallen Tree in Dawsonville, GA

1Report it the way the utility asks

Each utility publishes its own reporting channels. Amicalola EMC lists phone numbers for its Jasper, Ellijay and Dahlonega offices and asks members not to email about outages, because phone reports get more prompt service; during extended outages, callers may be directed to its automated outage system. Sawnee EMC lists an online form, its app, a text line and its Customer Call Center. Georgia Power offers outage reporting and an outage map on its site and says to contact it immediately about a downed line.

Keep the numbers somewhere you can reach without power or internet.

2Stay clear of the line

Assume any downed line is energized, including lines tangled in a tree. Georgia Power says never to touch a downed line or drive over it. Keep everyone, including pets, well back, and warn neighbors. Do not try to pull limbs off a line or cut a tree that is holding a line down. Wait for the utility to confirm the line is clear before anyone works on the tree.

If you run a generator during the outage, follow your utility's published generator safety guidance.

3What the utility will and will not do

Utility crews remove what is needed to restore service safely. Georgia Power says trees that fall from natural causes such as strong winds and interfere with power lines will be cut away so power can be restored, and that after storms the vegetation debris cleanup is the property owner's responsibility. Expect the trunk and limbs to be left on your property once the line is clear.

If the tree damaged the service mast or meter base on your house, ask the utility what repairs are yours and whether an electrician must make them before service is reconnected.

4Safety while you wait

Keep people and pets away from any tree that is cracked, hung up in another tree, leaning on a structure or touching a wire. Do not stand under hanging limbs, and do not try to pull a tree off a roof or a line yourself. Mark the area with tape or cones if you can do so from a safe distance. If a tree is resting on the house, move people out of the rooms underneath until it is removed. Shut off the gas or water only if you know how and the shutoff is safely reachable. Write down what happened and when, take photographs from a safe distance, and keep a list of anyone you call. If you are hiring help, describe the hazard clearly so the provider can bring the right equipment and crew.

5Keep a record

Start a single folder, paper or digital, for the job. Put in it the photos, the quotes, any permit or encroachment approval, the utility's reference number if you reported an outage, the insurer's claim number and the names of everyone you dealt with. Note dates. After the work, add the final invoice and photos of the finished site. A record like this helps with an insurance claim, with a question from the county or city, and with a buyer years from now who asks why a tree is gone or where a stump was ground.

6When a tree is near your service line

The wire from the utility pole to your house, often called the service drop, is still part of the electric system, and a limb resting on it can be dangerous. Do not try to clear it yourself. Ask the utility on your bill whether it will trim or temporarily disconnect the line so a private crew can work safely, and whether there is a lead time to schedule it. Tell any tree service you contact that the job involves a service line so they can plan for it. After the work, look over the service mast and meter base for damage, and report anything bent or pulled loose to the utility.

7Prepare for the next storm

Walk the property after leaf drop, when the structure of each tree is easiest to see, and note trees with dead tops, large dead limbs, cracks, cavities, mushrooms at the base or a new lean. Look up for limbs hanging over the roof, the driveway and the service line to the house. Keep the utility's outage numbers, your insurer's claim line and your policy number where you can reach them without power. Photograph your house and yard now so you have a record of how things looked before a storm. If a tree worries you, have it looked at in calm weather, when scheduling is easier and there is time to compare quotes.

8After power is back

Once the utility has cleared the line, the rest of the tree is a normal removal. Photograph the damage for your insurer, make only temporary repairs, and get written quotes. The insurance page explains the limited coverage for removing wind-fallen trees, and the storm guide covers the order of steps. Burning storm debris needs a GFC permit; see the burn page.