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Families left without heat at Norcross apartments
A week-long power outage at a Gwinnett County apartment building has left families without heat or refrigeration as temperatures are expected to drop further this weekend.
PEACHTREE CORNERS, Ga. - A week-long power outage at a Gwinnett County apartment building has left families without heat or refrigeration as temperatures are expected to drop further this weekend.
What we know:
Residents at the Norcross Crossing complex say the electricity went out last Friday around 11 a.m. One week later, the power remains off, and the temperature inside some units has dipped to 49 degrees.
Shawntal Cochran, who moved into her three-bedroom apartment three months ago, said the conditions forced her, her sister, and their children into a hotel.
Cochran said she paid her $1,800 January rent in full before the outage. While management has promised to reimburse hotel costs through rental credits, Cochran said she is running out of money to pay the upfront costs, which exceed $100 per night.
What they're saying:
"Inside the apartment, [it] is like 49 degrees on the inside, it's freezing. We were there the first three days. It was so cold, that's why we ended up going to the hotel because it was so bad," Cochran said. "And now, with weather temps dropping soon, I don't know what to expect when will we be back home."
"We are playing for a hotel, paying for food because we lost all the groceries, so we have to buy food day by day because you can't really cook in the hotel, so you gotta have food ready to eat," Cochran said.
Cochran said the lack of communication from the complex is disheartening, especially for neighbors who may not have the means to leave.
"Makes me feel like they don't care because some families are still here, they don't have power, they have little children, probably don't have money for a hotel," she said.
The other side:
The situation remains murky as to why the power is out. Georgia Power Company issued a statement saying they investigated the report, but claimed "the information provided is not consistent with our records." The utility declined to specify the inconsistency, citing customer privacy.
Harbor Group Management, which manages the complex, has not responded to multiple calls and emails over the past two days. An on-site leasing agent confirmed the lack of electricity Friday but declined to comment further.
The Source: The sources cited in the article include resident Shawntal Cochran, a statement from the Georgia Power Company, and a brief confirmation from an on-site leasing agent at the Norcross Crossing complex.