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Insights > Entergy urges customers to prepare for hurricane season
Entergy urges customers to prepare for hurricane season
05/02/2022
Take simple steps now to prepare your home or business for severe weather
Entergy is ready for another hurricane season beginning June 1, and we want you to be ready, too.
We prepare for the worst of what Mother Nature might bring, because our customers live in areas prone to severe weather. We know that weather impacting our region is increasing in strength and occurring with greater frequency.
And scientists predict this hurricane season will be just as active, with at least 19 named storms and nine hurricanes.
Our storm preparations are performed year-round – from inspections and vegetation management to training and industry collaboration. Since trees and other vegetation are a leading cause of power outages, we conduct “sky to ground" vegetation trimming, which removes tree limbs that would normally have been above the power line and out. And, we use satellite imagery and computer modeling to help predict when trimming may be needed.
Enhancing the grid is also an ongoing effort that’s well-planned. We know investments in hardened infrastructure perform well, for example: During Hurricane Ida, a section of our transmission system with roughly 380 newly built structures was in the direct path of the storm, and only three of them were damaged – and not by wind, but by flying heavy-duty barge debris. In fact, flying debris is often another cause of damage to our equipment.
We stand storm ready. We have a proven plan of continuous preparation, planning and training. As severe weather threatens, we monitor, mobilize and act.
As we recognize National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 1-7), now is a good time to make your own storm preparation and safety plans.
Stay prepared
Staying storm ready is a full-time job, 24/7, 365 days a year. When there’s a severe weather threat, we use forecasts and computer models based on experience with past storms to predict an estimated number and duration of outages that could occur. Based on those estimates, we will call on restoration workers from around the country as needed to safely get the power back on as quickly as possible.
Assessing damage, deploying personnel to the right place with the right materials and restoring power are all processes we continually plan for and improve. In fact, Entergy employees across the company complete annual storm-response exercises to make sure procedures are reviewed and updated prior to the beginning of hurricane season.
Safety is one of our core values and we encourage you to make it your top priority, too. Take the time now to get your personal storm plans in place and make a kit with the basic supplies needed in an emergency. You can learn how to make an emergency kit and get important severe weather safety tips on the Entergy Storm Center.
Another preparation step we take is supporting the American Red Cross Disaster Responder Program. Entergy shareholders provide an annual $250,000 commitment to support the program which helps our communities better prepare for and recover from potential disasters. The contribution will help streamline the response process in times of disaster, allowing funds to arrive more quickly to help those affected across the company’s four-state service area.
Stay informed
Staying informed before, during and after a tropical system strikes is just as important as making personal storm plans. Here’s how you can stay up to date on our preparations and restoration efforts:
- Download the Entergy App. Customers can use the app to report outages or check on the status of power at their home or business.
- Check our View Outages Maps show where outages are located and give information about restoration progress.
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Social media also plays an important role in keeping you informed, and we place a high priority on updating our social media channels throughout an event.
- Sign up for text messages about storm and restoration efforts by texting REG to 36778.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center The site has storm safety, preparation and restoration information that is updated throughout the day.
- Download the Operation: Storm Ready Guide. This guide will help you plan and prepare for weather emergencies. Versions are available in Spanish and Vietnamese.
