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Insights > Entergy Louisiana winter storm update – 1/16/24, 11 a.m.
Entergy Louisiana winter storm update – 1/16/24, 11 a.m.
01/16/2024
Entergy Louisiana crews and contractors are engaged in all levels of restoration work this morning after a winter storm brought steady winds and freezing rain overnight, causing scattered power outages in the southern portion of the state.
Currently, utility crews ad operations teams are:
- Assessing damage to electric equipment in areas where it is safe to do so and provided intel to local networks.
- Transporting necessary materials and crews to locations where utility work needs to be performed.
- Restoring service either by rerouting power or making repairs to the system where inclement weather damaged equipment.
At 11 a.m., approximately 11,000 Entergy customers were without power across Louisiana. Most customers who remained without power were in a swath of the company’s service territory that saw freezing rain and ice accumulation move west to east overnight; this includes portions of Calcasieu Parish, Acadiana, Greater Baton Rouge and Tangipahoa Parish.
In Southwest Louisiana, a segment of Entergy’s transmission system experienced galloping, which occurs when ice builds up on power lines and the additional weight and steady winds cause them to move and contact one another. This and the residual effect of galloping has resulted in a power outage affecting the area east of Lake Charles near Iowa.
In addition to impacts to our transmission system, crews are seeing impacts to local distribution systems which include the utility poles, power lines and electric equipment you typically see along neighborhood streets and within cities and towns. In some areas, especially the wooded areas of Baton Rouge and Tangipahoa Parish, ice has built up tree limbs and power lines. This can cause weakened limbs to break and fall onto our equipment, resulting in an outage.
While the proactive measures we have taken in the areas of tree trimming, preventative maintenance and installation of smart devices on our electric system have helped minimize customer interruptions, we can still see some impacts from limbs and trees outside of our right of was as well as galloping and other scenarios.
Restoration can take longer in cold weather because crews oftentimes must restore segments of customers at a time due to instantaneous demand, or the amount of electric load, that occurs when customers have heaters and other appliances in use. To help us mitigate this problem, Entergy encourages you to turn off or disconnect any electrical heaters or electric appliances that can easily be turned off until power is restored, and gradually power them on once power has been restored to your location.
We know that staying informed is important to our customers. Be sure to report any outages to Entergy via our mobile app at entergy.com/app or online at entergy.com/reportoutage and sign up for text alerts so that you can follow our restoration progress and received estimated times of restoration once they are available.
Entergy is focused on restoring your power as quickly and, above all, as safely as possible. Please keep your distance from downed power lines and Report downed lines immediately by calling 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243). Also, for their safety as well as yours, please keep your distance from utility crews and their worksites.
If you are experiencing a power outage and are using a portable generator, space heaters or other related appliances, please use them safely and according to the manufacturer guidelines. Do not leave candles or space heaters unattended and do not use portable generators indoors. For additional safety tips and updates on our restoration progress, please visit the Storm Center at entergystormcenter.com and follow us on social media (Facebook and Twitter) at @EntergyLA.
