Insights > Entergy Louisiana Restoration Morning Update – Sept. 5

Entergy Louisiana Restoration Morning Update – Sept. 5
By: Louisiana Editorial Team

09/05/2020

Crews continue to make significant progress in safely repairing the Entergy Louisiana electric system to restore service to homes and businesses that can safely receive power. We have launched a new Hurricane Laura information website to provide customers with storm restoration and recovery updates. You can visit the site at entergy.com/hurricanelaura.

As of 7 a.m. Saturday, less than 100,000 customers in Louisiana were without power, down from a peak of about 270,900.

For customers in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, restoring power may take longer than expected as a result of extensive damage to transmission infrastructure serving the area. We have found damage to approximately 1,000 transmission structures, 6,600 broken poles, 330 miles of downed distribution wire and nearly 2,900 transformers. Due to the extensive damage, the transmission and distribution systems will require nearly a complete rebuild in this area. As more generation and transmission services are available in southwest Louisiana, this should help improve our ability to finalize our restoration efforts.

Along with standard storm preparations, Entergy employees are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic by taking additional steps. Due to the added measures crews must take, restoration may take longer, especially where there are widespread outages. Also, crews will continue to practice social distancing, and we ask that customers do the same. For their safety and yours, please stay away from work zones.

Crews are focusing on restoring emergency services first and then will prioritize work to restore the greatest number of customers.

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA

Lake Charles Area - Line workers and support personnel are continuing efforts to restore power to customers. Crews have successfully installed 3,800 new poles and 7,800 spans of wire in the area. Yesterday in southwest Louisiana, crews disconnected service lines for numerous businesses so they could begin to repair their buildings. Crews also worked with our customer service management team to accommodate requests to remove Entergy equipment and wire off of their structures from both commercial and residential customers.

Below is how the East side of Lake Charles is broken down:

Prien Lake – Damage assessment is complete. There are 676 line workers focused on rebuilding transmission infrastructure. Yesterday crews installed 63 new poles and replaced 100 spans of wire. Today crews will be working in the same areas clearing roadways, preparing for restoration work.

Airport – Damage assessment is complete. Yesterday there were 683 line workers in south Lake Charles. Crews installed 157 new poles and replaced 424 spans of wire. Today crews will be working in the same area clearing roadways and preparing for future work.

Goosport – Damage assessment is complete. Yesterday there were 1,096 line workers in Goosport. Crews are continuing to face challenges related to downed trees and limbs. Yesterday crews installed 157 poles and replaced 370 spans of wire. Today crews are working in the same area clearing roadways and preparing for future work.

Lake Charles – Damage assessment is complete. There are 590 line workers focused on rebuilding transmission infrastructure. Yesterday crews installed 116 new poles and replaced 214 spans of wire. Today crews will be working in the same areas clearing roadways, preparing for future restoration work.

Sulphur Area - Yesterday approximately 2,792 employees, contractors and support personnel worked in the Sulphur network. In Calcasieu Parish; 179 personnel worked in the City of Westlake, 1,440 personnel worked in the City of Sulphur and 945 personnel worked in Starks/Toomey. In Cameron Parish, 235 personnel worked around Ellender Bridge and Hackberry.

In Starks/Toomey, crews installed 473 new poles and replaced 1,069 spans of wire, completing 80% of the repairs for this area.

In Sulphur crews installed 870 new poles and replaced 1,906 spans of wire, completing 50% of the repairs needed for this area.

In Westlake crews installed 168 new poles and replaced 471 spans of wire, completing 73% of the repairs needed for this area.

In Hackberry crews installed 162 new poles and replaced 431 spans of wire, completing 50% of the repairs needed for this area.

Today crews in Calcasieu Parish will work in the areas of Starks, Toomey, Sulphur, and Westlake. In Cameron Parish, crews will shift from the Starks/Toomey area to increase work in Hackberry. Crews will continue to repair poles, spans of wires, and transformers in all locations in Sulphur Network.

NORTH LOUISIANA

As of 7 a.m. today, approximately 2,100 customers remain without power. Damage assessments have been completed in north Louisiana and crews are continuing to quickly and safely restore power.

Damage Assessed

Broken Poles- 468

Spans of Wire- 1158

Transformers -81

Cross Arms- 617

In North Louisiana today 90 crews worked Winnfield, Montgomery, Dodson, Natchitoches, Jonesboro, Quitman, Calvin, Goldonna, Sikes and Chatham. Another 15 crews were added to work throughout Jonesboro, Winnfield, Dodson, Lucky, Bienville, Calvin, Goldonna.

Work continued today in the Jena, Georgetown, Montgomery and Tullos areas to resolve isolated outages and energize critical customers. If your home’s electrical system sustained damage and that damage has been repaired by a qualified electrician, please call 1-800-ENTERGY to generate a service reconnection work order.

West Monroe Area

Today crews continued to work isolated outages throughout Ouachita Parish. If your home’s electrical system sustained damage and that damage has been repaired by a qualified electrician, please call 1-800-ENTERGY to generate a service reconnection work order.

Jonesboro Area

Crews of 60 continued to work isolated outages in Jonesboro, Winnfield, Dodson, Natchitoches, Lucky Bienville, Calvin, Goldonna, Chatham, Montgomery, Sikes and Quitman today. If your home’s electrical system sustained damage and that damage has been repaired by a qualified electrician, please call 1-800-ENTERGY to generate a service reconnection work order.

Parish Outage Information:

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA

Beauregard Parish

Number of outages as of 9 a.m.: 7