Insights > Entergy Louisiana Winter Storm Alert – 2/15/21 @ noon

Entergy Louisiana Winter Storm Alert – 2/15/21 @ noon

By: Louisiana Editorial Team

02/15/2021

Winter weather continues to significantly impact portions of Entergy’s service area in Louisiana, with approximately 60,000 customers without power as of noon. The Greater Baton Rouge and Tangipahoa Parish areas have been hardest hit.

A storm team of 1,900, including line workers, tree trimmers and support personnel is assessing damage and restoring power where it is safe to do so. Preliminary damage assessments indicate ice accumulations have knocked down power lines, tree limbs and entire trees into electric equipment. Road closures due to icy conditions and other accessibility challenges will hamper our ability to reach some areas and slow restoration in those communities.

Restoration during extremely cold weather can take time. If outages do occur, crews may have to bring customers online in phases to avoid damaging the electric system. Crews also will continue practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may slow restoration work. This is often the case in areas where customers have all-electric homes. To learn more about restoring power in extremely cold weather, visit entergynewsroom.com/storm-center/restoration/extreme-cold/.

These are extreme conditions creating high demand for electricity over the next few days. Some ways customers can help conserve energy through this period:

• Lower the central thermostat to 68 degrees.
• Delay laundry, washing dishes, bathing and other non-essential uses of electricity until this appeal for conservation has ended.
• Wash clothes with cold water, cook foods at the lowest possible setting and refrain from opening the oven door while baking.
• Don’t allow warmed air to escape from the home.

Customers should be prepared for winter weather as well. For preparedness and safety tips, visit entergynewsroom.com/storm-center/winterweather.   

STORM RESTORATION PROCESS

If there are widespread outages, we will deploy scouts to assess damage. We base our estimates of restoration times on those assessments. We will communicate these estimates with you and update as new information becomes available. Our crews will simultaneously restore service where it is deemed safe to do so. We ask for your patience. Restoring your power safely and quickly is our top priority.

The high level of instantaneous demand also can slow efforts to restore power in some areas. Customers without power should turn off or unplug electric heating units, water heaters and other high-usage appliances and turn them back on gradually after power is restored.

Please be mindful of the following safety tips:

• Live wires can be deadly. Stay away from downed power lines. Call 1-800-9OUTAGE or 1-800-968-8243 to report downed or dangling power lines, poles or other damaged equipment.
• Do not trim trees or remove debris on or near downed power lines. Only power company crews or their contractors should remove trees or limbs touching power lines.
• Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials or limbs or overhead wires falling to the ground.
• If you plan on using a generator for temporary power, get a licensed electrician and disconnect from the utility electric system before hooking up to your main electric panel.
• Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.
• Turn off any electrical appliances that can easily be turned to the off position until power is restored.
• Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.
• Try to stay off the roads in affected areas. Restoration crews can work safer and faster if they don’t have to work around traffic.

We want to keep you informed:

• 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
• Follow us on Twitter at @EntergyNOLAand @EntergyLA or on Facebook at facebook.com/EntergyNOLA or facebook.com/EntergyLA.
• Call us at 800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
• Follow updates in your local news media like radio television and newspapers.

Tags

Louisiana  New Orleans  Storm Center  Feb 2021 Storm 

Louisiana Editorial Team