Georgia Power generation facilities prepared for Hurricane Michael

Georgia Power’s power plants statewide are prepared to maintain safe generation of energy for millions of customers during and following Hurricane Michael. The company is also prepared to respond to power outages as quickly and safely as possible with additional resources available as part of the Southern Company system, which includes multiple electric and gas companies serving more than 9 million customers.

Electric generating plants, including coal, natural gas and nuclear plants, are built to be robust and highly secure. Power plants incorporate multiple layers of protection including structural strength, highly trained operators and security forces, and proven emergency plans.

U.S. nuclear plants’ safety systems are designed to withstand significant hazard events, including hurricane force winds and flooding. Georgia’s two nuclear plants, Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro and Plant Hatch near Vidalia, are equipped with numerous redundant safety systems to prevent or respond to emergencies. Plants Vogtle and Hatch also feature onsite FLEX domes that are designed to withstand an earthquake, a direct hit by a tornado, or airborne flying objects during severe weather. The FLEX domes house equipment and other resources that might be needed if the power supply to the plant were interrupted for an extended period of time. Additionally, both plants have comprehensive emergency preparedness plans in place developed in accordance with federal requirements by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other oversight agencies.

At the construction site of the two new nuclear units at Plant Vogtle, teams are conducting walk downs of the site to identify and secure potential hazards that could result from heavy winds. Crane booms will be lowered, and when appropriate, pumps would be utilized to help mitigate flooding.

Weather plans are in place to ensure the site and employees remain safe before, during and after the storm.