GA Power Outages Soar In Ice Storm With Bitter Cold To Come

Updated at 5:05 p.m.

Power outages climbed Sunday as Georgians were urged to stay off the streets while dangerous ice coated roads and power lines, and threatened public safety.

As of 5:05 p.m., over 25,800 customers were without power in the Atlanta metro area, according to Georgia Power.

The tracking site PowerOutage.US showed about 60,000 utility customers without power in the state, including sizable numbers in Fulton and Gwinnett counties, as well as areas in northern and northeat Georgia.

The National Weather Service urged residents across north and central Georgia to prepare for hazardous road conditions, with an ice storm warning in effect until 10 a.m. Monday.

As of Sunday morning, additional ice accumulation of one tenth to half of an inch was forecast in north and east central Georgia with wind gusts up to 30 mph overnight.

“Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. Significant ice accumulation on power lines and tree limbs may cause widespread and long-lasting power outages,” the weather service warned.

“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency. Prepare for extended power outages.”

As of shortly before 8 a.m., Gov. Brian Kemp said the state was about halfway through the weather event and urged people to stay off the roads.

“We do think things will deteriorate as the day goes on,” he said in a video posted on X.

There was a ground delay Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, with Delta flights departing within the U.S. running an average of nearly two hours behind schedule, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, which added the delay was expected to continue until about 5 p.m.

Georgia Power on social media shared a photo of a lineman’s hard hat coated in ice from the storm, noting that half an inch of ice can add up to 500 pounds to a power line and ice buildup can snap trees and branches.

“You know it's bad when Waffle House is closed!!!” the Cherokee County Sheriff's office posted on Facebook with a photo of a shuttered restaurant. Whether the chain's restaurants are open — known as the Waffle House Index — has become an informal way to gauge the severity of weather disasters across the South.

The ice was expected to be accompanied by bitter cold, with a cold weather advisory in effect from 4-10 a.m. Monday, as wind chills drop between zero and 15 degrees across north and central Georgia.

“Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves,” the advisory said. “Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors.”

The Associated Press contributed to this story.