With temperatures rising during the summer months, so does the chance for severe weather. According to the National Weather Service, there are approximately 25 million lightning strikes in the United States each year. In Georgia, lightning is the number two weather-related cause of death behind tornadoes, according to Ready Georgia. 

Lightning Safety Awareness Week is June 23-29, and Georgia Power offers the following safety tips when severe weather is in the forecast:

Seek shelter inside away from doors and windows.

Avoid electronic equipment of all types, including land line phones, as lightning can travel through electrical systems.

Avoid indoor water use during a thunderstorm. Lightning can travel through plumbing.

Never touch any downed or low hanging wires, and never pull tree limbs off power, telephone or cable lines after a storm.

Never go near chain link fences – downed power lines or lightning strikes may energize the entire length of the fence. 

Never walk into areas where crews are at work. If driving near work crews, obey road signs and proceed cautiously.

In addition to personal safety around storms, customers should consider adding protection to their home today. Lightning strikes lead to costly insurance claims and are a common cause of power surges, sending a damaging spike in electrical voltage through the meter. Georgia Power's SurgeDefender™ is the easiest way to add protection for valuable home appliances for just $9.95 per month. To learn more, visit GeorgiaPower.com/SurgeProtection.

Whenever severe weather strikes, Georgia Power responds to power outages as quickly and safely as possible. The company offers a variety of free tools and resources for customers to stay safe and informed, including:

Outage Alerts: Subscribe to the free Georgia Power Outage Alert service to receive personalized notifications and updates via text message.

Outage & Storm Center: At GeorgiaPower.com/Storm, customers can sign up for Outage Alerts, report and check the status of outages, and access useful safety tips and information. Customers can also report and check the status of an outage 24 hours a day by contacting Georgia Power at 888-891-0938.

Outage Map: Georgia Power's interactive Outage Map provides near real-time information, allowing users to see where outages are occurring across the state and track estimated restoration times. The company will post regular updates with localized estimated restoration times on the Outage Map.

Georgia Power Mobile App: Download the Georgia Power mobile app for Apple and Android devices to access storm and outage information on the go.

@GeorgiaPower on Twitter: Follow @GeorgiaPower on Twitter for storm tips, outage updates, customer service and more.