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Insights > Entergy Louisiana Restoration Morning Update – Sept. 7
Entergy Louisiana Restoration Morning Update – Sept. 7
09/07/2020
Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Laura delivered a catastrophic blow to southwest Louisiana, our crews continue to work to restore power to the hardest hit portions of southwest Louisiana.
Power was restored Sunday evening to the final 1,300 customers who remained without service in Jefferson Davis Parish. In addition, the first lights came back on in Calcasieu Parish on Saturday night as power was made available to approximately 2,000 customer customers in the communities of Toomey and Starks. Though all nine transmission lines into Southwest Louisiana were damaged, Entergy personnel were able to repair and energize one line coming from east Texas to reconnect those customers. Our company and our communities worked tirelessly for this moment.
Our team currently consists of 16,000 resources in Louisiana, and 13,700 dedicated to the southwest. Crews have restored power to approximately 178,000 of the 270,900 customers who lost power at the peak of the hurricane the afternoon of Aug. 27. As of 7 a.m. Monday, approximately 88,000 remain without power in Louisiana. As we restore service to customers affected by Laura, outage numbers may fluctuate on our outage map depending on current conditions, such as thunderstorm outages or temporary outages to make repairs.
Crews have identified damage to approximately 1,600 transmission structures, 6,600 poles, 330 miles of distribution wire and nearly 2,900 transformers. For customers in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, this means restoring power may take longer than expected. As a result of extensive damage to the transmission infrastructure serving this area, the transmission and distribution systems will require nearly a complete rebuild. As more generation and transmission services are available in southwest Louisiana, this should help improve our ability to finalize our restoration efforts.
In the Jonesboro area of North Louisiana, the vast majority of customers who could safely receive power were restored last night. Crews will continue to work isolated outage cases. 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.
Along with standard storm procedures, 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.
For the latest details, visit our new Hurricane Laura information hub at entergy.com/hurricanelaura.
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA
Lake Charles Area
More than 6,800 lineworkers and support personnel continued restoration efforts in Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes yesterday. Since Hurricane Laura, crews in the area have installed 3,800 new poles and 7,800 spans of wire. Yesterday, crews installed an additional 1,000 poles and 2,000 spans of wire. Today crews will continue working to repair the feeders, distribution lines and substations in Central – East Lake Charles, Goosport – Moss Bluff – Iowa, Lake Street – University – Prien, and Airport – Big Lake.
Crews will continue to clear roadways and prepare for future work throughout the area. Crews will also work with our customer service management team to supply disconnects to businesses and to accommodate requests to remove Entergy equipment and wire from both commercial and residential properties.
Lake Street – University – Prien
More than 600 lineworkers and support personnel worked to restore power to customers in the Lake – Street – University – Prien areas yesterday. Crews have installed 800 new poles, including 145 new poles yesterday, which accounts for over 90% of the total number needing repair in this area. Additionally, over 325 spans of wire were repaired totaling 1,700 spans of wire to-date. Yesterday, crews continued work on the distribution system in the Casino area and E. McNeese Street, while working to wrap up work south of downtown and on Sale Road). Work to the feeders, distribution lines, and substations will continue in these same areas today.
Airport – Big Lake
Support personnel and lineworkers numbering more than 900 worked to restore power to customers in Airport – Big Lake area yesterday. Crews have installed nearly 500 new poles, including 140 yesterday, which accounts for approximately 60% of the total number of poles needing repair in the area. Crews also repaired a total of 1,400 spans of wire, 470 of which were installed yesterday. Crews continued work on the distribution system in Gerstner Memorial, South Lake Street, and Graywood. Repairs to the feeders in the Tank Farm area are being completed. Work to the feeders, distribution lines and substations will continue in these same areas today.
Goosport – Moss Bluff – Iowa
More than 1,100 lineworkers and support personnel continued work to restore power to customers in the Goosport – Moss Bluff – Iowa areas. Crews have installed nearly 1,200 new poles, including 280 yesterday, accounting for approximately 90% of the total number of poles needing repair in the area. Crews also repaired a total of 2,000 spans of wire, including 600 spans of wire that were installed yesterday. Work continued yesterday to the distribution system along LA-90 & LA-397, Goosport and Iowa. Repairs to the feeders in the Gillis area are being completed. Work to the feeders, distribution lines and substations will continue in these same areas today.
Central – East Lake Charles
In Central – East Lake Charles, more than 950 lineworkers and support personnel worked to restore power to customers. Crews have installed over 780 new poles, including 240 yesterday, accounting for approximately 70% of the total number of poles needing repair in the area. To date, a total of 1,475 spans of wire have been installed, 470 of which were installed yesterday. Crews continued work on the distribution system in the following areas: Downtown, LA -14 and 7th Street, E. Broad, S. Kirkman, Chennault, Oak Park and I-210 and LA -14. Work to the feeders, distribution lines and substations will continue in these same areas today.
Sulphur Area
Yesterday nearly 3,000 lineworkers and support personnel worked to restore power in the Sulphur area. Work continued in the west on Highway 90 between Vinton and Sulphur to energize a portion of the feeder the nearby substation. In Calcasieu Parish, crews worked in the areas of Toomey - Starks, Sulphur and Westlake. In Cameron Parish, crews worked in Hackberry. Today crews will continue to repair poles, spans of wires and transformers in the same areas. Additionally, crews will be working on overhead lines over I-210 and Cove Lane.
City of Sulphur
Yesterday in the City of Sulphur, 1,485 lineworkers and support personnel worked to restore power to customers. To date, crews have successfully installed over 1,367 new poles, 3,065 spans of wire, which totals 70% of repairs complete in the area. Crews provided repairs in the vicinity of Highway 27, Maplewood Avenue, Huntington Street, Starlin Street and the Jett Street areas of Sulphur. Approximately 500 customers received power near Burton Street and Highway 90, just west of the Sulphur Mines.
Toomey - Starks
Saturday in the Toomey – Starks area, 490 lineworkers and support personnel were able restore power to more than 2,000 customers. Five hundred additional crews joined the area yesterday, installing over 553 new poles and 1,249 spans of wire, totaling 88% of repairs complete in the area. Boyd’s Racing (Delta Downs Casino) received power from a nearby substation. Yesterday, crews worked in the vicinity of Highway 338, State Road 3112 and Highway 90.
Customers located within the Toomey - Starks area who may be without power should check for damage to the electrical equipment attached to homes or businesses and contact an electrician to make repairs. If the electric equipment appears undamaged, report the outage by texting REG to 36778 or by calling 1-800-9OUTAGE
City of Westlake
Lineworkers and support personnel totaling 179 worked to restore power in Westlake yesterday. Crews have successfully installed over 259 new poles and 708 spans of wire in the area with 82% of repairs needed in the area now complete. Yesterday repairs were made in the vicinity of Old Highway 90, Westlake Avenue, Goss Road, John Street and Sampson Avenue.
Hackberry – Cameron Parish Area
In Hackberry around Ellender Bridge in Cameron Parish, 133 lineworkers and support personnel worked to restore power to customers. As of today, crews have successfully installed over 301 new poles and 615 spans of wire, which totals 57% of repairs completed in the area. Yesterday crews provided repairs in the vicinity of Main Street and Highway 27 in Hackberry.
Jennings Area
Nearly 800 lineworkers and support personnel worked to restore customers in Jefferson Davis Parish yesterday. Crews have repaired 18 broken poles, 12 damaged transformers, over 48 downed spans of wire, cleared vegetation from over 139 spans of wire and replaced three capacitor banks. Reconstruction activities are ongoing in Jennings, Mermentau and Lacassine. Crews continued to reconstruct lines from Welsh to Lacassine, restoring nearly 1,300 additional customers. The massive and targeted restoration project includes the reconstruction of 19 structures.
Jennings – Mermentau – Lacassine
Yesterday, crews continued to restore customers who were able to safely receive power. However, power delivery to some customers cannot be accomplished until the transmission power source is restored. Transmission line crews are collaborating with distribution line crews to restore power to area customers. Customers located within the Jennings – Mermentau - Lacassine area who may be without power should check for damage to the electrical equipment attached to their homes or businesses and contact an electrician to make repairs. If the electric equipment appears undamaged, report the outage by texting REG to 36778 or by calling 1-800-9OUTAGE
NORTH LOUISIANA
Jonesboro Area
Crews continued to work isolated outages in the Jonesboro area. The majority of customers who could receive power were restored last night. The remaining customers will be restored by Monday, Sept. 7. 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.
Calcasieu Parish
Number of outages as of 9 a.m.: 86,091
Percentage of damage assessments complete: 100%
Estimated restoration: Due to the damage to the transmission and distribution systems, restoration times are to be determined.
Areas being worked today: Toomey – Starks, Sulphur South – Hackberry, North Sulphur – Westlake, Central – East Lake Charles, Mermentau, Jennings, and Lacassine.
Cameron Parish
Number of outages as of 9 a.m.: 1,939
Percentage of damage assessments complete: 100%
Estimated restoration: Due to the damage to the transmission system, restoration times are to be determined.
Areas being worked today: Central – East Lake Charles, Toomey - Starks, Sulphur South – Hackberry, and North Sulphur – Westlake.
Jefferson Davis Parish
Number of outages as of 9 a.m.: 611
Percentage of damage assessments complete: 100%
Estimated restoration: Due to the damage to the transmission system, restoration times are to be determined.
Areas being worked today: Mermentau, Jennings, and Lacassine.
Winn Parish
Number of outages as of 9 a.m.: 235
Percentage of damage assessments complete: 100%
Estimated restoration: The majority of customers who could receive power have been restored.
Areas worked 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.
KEEP SAFETY TOP PRIORTY
There is no way to know if a downed line is energized or not, so if you see one, keep your distance and call 1-800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
Stay safe and away from downed power lines and flooded areas. Do not walk in standing water and do not venture into areas of debris, since energized and dangerous power lines may not be visible.
Customers choosing to use portable electric generators should do so in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Customers must never connect a generator directly to a building’s wiring without a licensed electrician disconnecting the house wiring from Entergy’s service. Otherwise, it can create a safety hazard for the customer or our linemen working to restore power. And it may damage the generator or the house wiring.
STORM RESTORATION PROCESS
Following a storm, we deploy scouts to assess damage. Our scouts work as quickly and safely as possible in sometimes very dangerous conditions. As damages are assessed, we will communicate with you the conditions found along with an estimated restoration time and our progress toward restoring your power. We can begin restoring service to customers by closing circuit breakers, rerouting power and other means, but we must wait until sustained winds are less than 30 mph to use our bucket trucks. We ask for your patience, and please know restoring your power safely and quickly is our top priority.
As we assess the damage, we will begin restoring service where it is deemed safe to do so.
Your preparation is essential too:
- Above all stay safe. A personal plan for you and your family is the best way to stay safe and be storm ready.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center website for planning tools that can help guide you through the decisions you need to make.
- Whether you shelter in place or evacuate, you should prepare to protect your home.
- Decide to stay or go well before the storm strikes.
- Basic emergency supplies and a first aid kit are key items to keep on hand during severe weather.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center website in advance for details on how to prepare for hurricanes and other types of storms.
We continuously keep our communities informed throughout a storm using the following channels:
- Download our free app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app.
- Sign up for text alerts. From your cell phone text REG to 36778.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center website and our View Outages page.
- Follow us on Twitter.com/entergyla or Facebook.com/entergyla.
- Call us at 800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
- Follow updates in your local news media like radio television and newspapers.
