Twelve Midtown Hotel Atlantic Station evacuated: 'We lost power about nine days ago'

Twelve Midtown residents evacuated after 10-day outage

After a grueling 10-day power outage, residents of the Twelve Midtown high-rise in Atlantic Station were forced into an immediate evacuation by the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department due to unsafe, non-potable water.

ATLANTA - Residents of the Twelve Midtown high-rise in Atlantic Station were forced to abandon their homes Friday after the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department ordered an immediate evacuation due to unsafe water.

 Twelve Midtown Hotel evacuated

What we know:

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) ordered the evacuation of the Twelve Midtown Hotel at Atlantic Station due to non-potable water conditions. 

The order followed a power disruption that disabled the building’s clean water service. 

Fire officials stated the hotel must remain vacant until the situation is fully resolved. 

‘We lost power about nine days ago’

Dig deeper:

The evacuation is the latest escalation in a crisis that began nearly two weeks ago. According to building officials, a "significant power disruption" disabled the building’s water filtration and pumping systems, rendering the high-rise unlivable.

For residents like Turkey Crawford, the last 10 days have been a grueling exercise in endurance.

"Man, just trying to survive," Crawford said. "It’s been a two-week process that we’ve been going through. We’re trying to adapt to living life without power or water."

Crawford is among many now seeking shelter elsewhere, noting that he is heading to his hometown in Alabama "because the place isn’t livable."

For those living in the tower, the technicalities of the outage matter less than the daily toll of the displacement.

"We lost power about nine days ago," said resident Danielle Beck-Hunter, describing the situation as beyond frustrating. "Not being able to turn on light switches is one thing, but it’s more than that. It’s about being able to wake up in time for work, to be able to shower."

As the building sits dark, neighbors say they are now asking property management to reimburse them for the hotel expenses they are accruing.

Residents upset after evacuation ordered at 12Midtown

Residents say they're not getting a clear message after they were evacuated from 12Midtown by Atlanta Fire Rescue.

Officials responding

What they're saying:

"AFRD personnel are actively engaged on scene and working alongside building management and utility partners to ensure the safety of all occupants," the fire department wrote in a statement. "Georgia Power is working around the clock to resolve the power issue. Building management is assisting residents and guests with alternative accommodations."

A Georgia Power spokesperson says they are on standby for when repairs are completed inside the building:

"We understand how difficult this has been for residents of Twelve Midtown, and feel terrible that they are managing life without electricity at their homes. Our systems are fully operational, and we are able to serve the building - this outage does not stem from any from issues with equipment owned or managed by Georgia Power and its duration is currently beyond our control. Power can only be restored once the landlord completes any repairs that may be needed and confirms the building is ready to receive power from us. We are prepared to move quickly once that’s done."

A statement for Atlantic Station reads:

"We are aware of the temporary evacuation at Twelve Midtown due to a power outage affecting the building. The evacuation was directed by Atlanta Fire Rescue Department as a precaution until power is restored through generator or utility service. The power outage is not related to Atlantic Station infrastructure. For further information, please contact Atlanta Fire Rescue."

What we don't know:

While generators could be heard blasting outside the building Friday, the timeline for a permanent fix remains unclear.