Update – 11:09 a.m.: Habersham EMC now estimates full restoration by this evening.
Habersham EMC now anticipates restoring service in three phases throughout the afternoon and early evening. According to the latest update, Phase 1 is expected to come back online around 1:00 p.m., restoring service for a portion of affected customers. Phase 2 is projected for approximately 3:00 p.m., with additional customers returning online at that time. Phase 3, expected around 6:30 p.m., should bring the remainder of customers back into full service.
Crews continue working in difficult conditions to complete repairs as quickly and safely as possible. Officials emphasize that these restoration times are estimates based on the current assessment of damage.
Habersham EMC apologized for the inconvenience and thanked customers for their continued patience as work continues.
Clarkesville, Ga. — Habersham EMC’s high-speed internet service has now been down for more than five hours after a fire damaged one of the cooperative’s main utility poles early this morning. The fire burned through three major connections, causing widespread service interruptions for customers across the region.
Crews have been working on-site throughout the day, but officials say the extent of the damage has resulted in an extended outage. Repairs remain ongoing, and Habersham EMC anticipates restoring service sometime this afternoon, though the timeline may shift as work continues.
In addition to internet service, the outage also affected the co-op’s phone lines, website, and SmartHub system, limiting customer service access. Technicians are working to bring those systems back online as well.
Habersham EMC stressed that customers do not need to restart their routers. Once service is restored, equipment will reconnect automatically.
“We are aware of everyone that is out, and crews will continue working until all services are restored,” the cooperative shared in its latest update, thanking customers for their patience and understanding.
This is a developing story, and Habersham News will provide updates as more information becomes available.
