September 28, 2024

Dear Georgian,

I pray that you and your families are okay after Hurricane Helene. My heart and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones during this disaster.

Thank you to our first responders, linemen, volunteers, National Guardsmen, and Emergency Management officials who are working around the clock to help our district recover.

My office is assessing and monitoring the damage in our district and coordinating with local and state officials about potential disaster relief. We will send more information as it becomes available.

As Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, I am committed to working with the Georgia Delegation in Congress to pass bipartisan disaster relief for our farmers, just as we did after Hurricane Michael.  

At this time, please see the below updates and guidance.

Georgia Power and Georgia EMC:

Both Georgia Power and Georgia EMC have deployed thousands of linemen to restore power to all areas affected by Hurricane Helene. The hurricane damaged several high-voltage transmission lines, which are critical to the electric grid.

Conditions in many areas are dangerous, so please be patient as they work to restore power as safely as possible.

During the recovery and restoration effort, make sure to avoid downed power lines and assume that any downed lines are energized. Downed lines are extremely dangerous and could be fatal depending on ground conditions. This is especially true in wet situations and even more with standing water due to this storm.

Please also keep a safe distance from crews as they work to restore power.

Both Georgia Power and Georgia EMC have power outage maps where you can track the status of local outages.

Track outages with Georgia Power here.

Track outages with Georgia EMC here.

Georgia Department of Agriculture:

The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is working with state, federal, and industry partners to assess Hurricane Helene's damage.

Georgia Ag Commissioner Tyler Harper reported that there is mass damage to row crops, tree nuts, poultry houses, timber, and more.

They ask that you follow these tips to report damage:

1) Document the Damage: Before starting any cleanup activity, make sure to take pictures of the damage and losses that have occurred.

2) Call Insurance Agent: If you have crop insurance, contact your crop insurance agent to report losses or damages. It is important to do this before starting any cleanup activities so that everything can be documented properly. Furthermore, farmers need to notify their crop insurance agent within 72 hours of the discovery of a loss. Farmers should provide a signed, written notice within 15 days of the loss.

3) Contact the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA): Contact your local FSA office. It is important to do this before starting any cleanup activities so that everything can be documented properly and a waiver can be issued before cleanup. 

Report Hurricane Helene damage on their online reporting form (preferred method).  You may also email [email protected].

GDA's Emergency Response Hotline: 1-855-491-1432

Keep updated at the GDA's website here.

Georgia Department of Insurance:

The Georgia Department of Insurance urges everyone to be wary of potential scammers. Please see the below guidance:

If you need assistance with a federal agency or have comments or concerns to share with me, please do not hesitate to call my Warner Robins, Tifton, or Washington, D.C. offices. To receive frequent updates, I encourage you to visit my website, like my Facebook page, follow me on YouTube, and follow me on X.

Sincerely,

Congressman Austin Scott