Insights > Entergy System Hurricane Delta Restoration Update – 10/12/20 @ 8:30 a.m.

Entergy System Hurricane Delta Restoration Update – 10/12/20 @ 8:30 a.m.

By: Corporate Editorial Team

10/12/2020

Monroe, La.

Power has been restored to more than 75% of customers impacted by Hurricane Delta across our service area.

We have completed restoration in some areas while damage assessment continues in others.

• For those still without electrical power, we know you want your service restored. The assessment process began as soon as it was safe to do so following the storm.
• In those harder-to-reach areas, we use advanced technology, such as infrared cameras, drones and satellite imagery to assess damage by foot, vehicles, airboats, high-water vehicles and helicopters.
• Damage assessment could take up to three days. Our scouts are assessing damage to determine the exact cause of your outage and how long it will take to correct the problem.
• While we are assessing damage, we will continue restoring service where it is safe to do so. These efforts are done in parallel.

Customers may see extended power outages given the additional need for our crews to follow COVID-19 precautionary measures, hardest hit areas may experience outages for up to 10 days. In addition, restoration may be hampered by flooding, blocked access or other obstacles. 

Outage information as of 6 a.m., Oct. 12:

Our crews, contractors and mutual-assistance partners are prepared to work long hours restoring service to customers as safely and as quickly as possible. We continue acquiring more resources for our restoration teams.

• We currently have approximately 13,350 workers activated for storm restoration. These resources include company employees, contractors and mutual aid resources numbering approximately 115 in Arkansas, 2,300 in Mississippi, 8,600 in Louisiana and 2,100 in Texas.
• These resources may be relocated across Entergy’s service territory as needed to restore service to affected customers.
• Restoration workers from 27 states have helped restore service for our customers. Donor states include Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

The transmission team is patrolling damage by ground and air to continue assessing the impact following Hurricane Delta.

• A total of 215 substations and 162 transmission lines saw an outage as a result of Hurricane Delta. As of Monday morning, transmission had returned 176 substations and 107 lines to service.
• As of 9 p.m. Oct. 11, distribution system damage included 1,213 poles, 376 transformers and 3,240 spans of wire.

Louisiana Update

• Crews have restored power to 78% customers affected by Hurricane Delta. Estimated restoration times are now available for all customers who were affected by the storm.
• Entergy has a Louisiana storm team of 8,600 responding to customers still without power. At its peak, Delta left more than 325,000 Louisiana customers without power.
• Heavy vegetation and damaged equipment in backyards continue to pose challenges for our crews.

Texas Update

• The remaining outages are primarily concentrated in the Beaumont, Orange and Port Arthur areas.
• Crews are encountering areas with significant damage across the region. As we work to restore customers, we focus on the cases that allow us to get the most customers back on soonest, and then work our way to the smaller cases. As crews narrow in on the hardest hit areas, they will begin handling those smaller cases that are tied to fewer customers.
• In some hard-to-access locations, crews had to climb poles rather than use bucket trucks or bring in specialized equipment like rear-alley machines to repair damage in customers’ backyards.
• Our high voltage transmission line damage assessments are 100% complete and assessments indicate minimal transmission damage, which will allow for facilities to be restored much more quickly than in Hurricane Laura. Crews will be repairing portions of our 69KV and 230KV lines to continue support of the dual source ties on our system.
• Based on our initial damage assessments, Entergy Texas expects to restore most customers in the Beaumont, Orange and Port Arthur areas by Wednesday, Oct 14. There may be some customers in especially hard-hit areas that will be restored by Friday, Oct 16.

Mississippi Update

• Entergy crews and additional resource workers continue to make significant progress restoring power to the over 50,000 customers who lost power Saturday as a result of Hurricane Delta. As of 7 a.m. 93% had been restored.

Hurricane Laura/Delta Update

• At this time, we believe Hurricane Delta caused minimal impact to the ongoing restoration of remaining facilities out of services following Hurricane Laura.
• Since Hurricane Laura caused significant damage to the transmission system across Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas, Entergy crews have rebuilt most of the transmission system affected by Hurricane Laura.
• Hurricane Delta caused outages to the transmission system in Southwest Louisiana. Initial assessments indicate minimal transmission damage, which will allow for facilities to be restored much more quickly than in Hurricane Laura.
• Here’s how we approach things at this stage to restore your power safely and quickly when conditions are safe:
  • Essential services such as hospitals, nursing homes, fire and police departments, and water systems are at the head of the restoration list, along with our equipment that supplies electricity to large numbers of customers.
  • Then we will concentrate our resources on getting the greatest number of customers back the fastest.
  • We can’t use our bucket trucks until sustained winds are less than 30 mph, but we can still begin restoring service to customers by closing circuit breakers, rerouting power and other actions.
  • You may see trucks, other vehicles and workers lined up while we process them into our system, taking inventory of equipment and personnel and giving a complete safety orientation.
  • Repairs begin with major lines to the substations, then to the lines and equipment serving neighborhoods, businesses and homes.
  • Service lines to individual homes and businesses will be restored last because fewer customers are involved, and in the case of fewer outages spread over larger areas, it often takes more time to get power back on for them.
  • Significant flooding and other accessibility challenges due to the storm will affect our ability to reach some areas of our territory and could delay restoration in those communities.
  • When restoration starts, keep in mind that if you don’t see us working near you, we may be working on another part of the electrical system that you can’t see but must be repaired to get power to you.
• Responding to a major storm and COVID-19 could affect our response:
  • Along with standard storm preparations, Entergy employees are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic by taking additional steps. These include traveling separately when possible, adjusting crew staging locations and increasing the use of drones.
  • Due to additional measures crews must take, restoration may take longer, especially where there are widespread outages. Additionally, 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.

Stay Informed

When restoration begins, customers may experience delays when calling our telephone centers, especially from unaffected areas, due to overloading of the system with outage calls. We encourage customers to use these other means to interact with us during restoration:

• Download our free app for your smartphone.
• Sign up for text alerts by texting REG to 36778 and have your account number and ZIP code handy. The registration pattern is as follows including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code). Once registered, text OUT to 36778 to report an outage. You can also report an outage online as a guest.
• Visit our View Outages page.
• Follow us on Twitter.com/entergy or Facebook.com/entergy.
• Call us at 1-800-9OUTAGE (1-800-968-8243).
• Follow updates in your local news media, like radio, television and newspapers.

Unfortunately, attempts to scam customers appeared after Hurricane Laura. We caution customers to be aware of unscrupulous attempts to swindle our customers during Hurricane Delta recovery.

• Entergy never demands immediate payment from customers over the phone. You shouldn't give your personal information to strangers.
• If a call sounds suspicious, hang-up and call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to speak directly with an Entergy customer service representative.
• If you believe you are a victim of this scam, notify the proper authorities, such as the local police or the state attorney general's office.

Customer Safety

You should stay safe as we restore service outages caused by Hurricane Delta.

• 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 (1-800-968-8243).
• 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 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.
  • Position generators outdoors and well away from any structure. Running a generator inside any enclosed or partially enclosed structure can lead to dangerous and often fatal levels of carbon monoxide. Make sure a generator has 3 to 4 feet of clear space on all sides and above it to ensure adequate ventilation. Keep generators positioned outside and away from doors, windows and vents so exhaust does not enter your home/business or a neighboring home/business.

Hurricane Delta Restoration Photos and Videos

Tags

Storm Center  Hurricane Delta 

Corporate Editorial Team