Power Restored After Outage Strands Thousands at Atlanta Airport
STRANDED
More than 1,000 flights were grounded, and tens of thousands of passengers left sitting in the dark.
REUTERS
Power was restored late Sunday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where thousands of passengers were left stranded and sitting in the dark following a major power outage. Georgia Power announced just after midnight that all electricity had been “fully restored” following a travel nightmare that affected an estimated 30,000 people and grounded at least 1,200 flights on a busy holiday weekend. The chaos prompted authorities in Atlanta to open the Georgia International Convention Center “to anyone who needs a place to stay for the night.” Hours after the mysterious power outage on Sunday morning, Georgia Power said a fire in an underground electrical facility was likely behind the mayhem. The company said the fire caused “extensive damage” and the cause has yet to be determined.
The City of Atlanta has mobilized the Georgia International Convention Center and will provide shuttle services for anyone who needs a place to stay for the night. @ChickfilA will provide food for passengers.
Update: 1/4 - We continue to work closely with @ATLairport personnel onsite to restore power to the Airport as quickly as possible. Assessment and repair efforts are well underway at this time and the company expects to have power restored to the Airport by midnight tonight. pic.twitter.com/eQg6QtHqI4
