Insights > Entergy System Hurricane Delta Restoration Update – 10/13/20 @ 8:30 a.m.

Entergy System Hurricane Delta Restoration Update – 10/13/20 @ 8:30 a.m.

By: Corporate Editorial Team

10/13/2020

Louisiana restoration.

Power has been restored to nearly 90% of customers impacted by Hurricane Delta across our service area.

Hurricane Delta outage information at 6 a.m., Oct. 13:

Damage caused by Hurricane Delta to our electrical power delivery system includes:

• A total of 215 substations and 162 transmission lines saw an outage as a result of Hurricane Delta. By 6 p.m. Oct. 12, transmission personnel had returned 177 substations and 111 lines to service.
• At 7 p.m. Oct. 12, distribution system damage included 1,398 poles, 457 transformers and 3,676 spans of wire.

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.

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

• We have 12,300 workers actively restoring service. These resources include company employees, contractors and mutual aid resources numbering approximately 2,000 in Mississippi, 8,000 in Louisiana and 2,200 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. This includes 154 electric utility businesses, including 13 other electric utility companies.

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.

Louisiana Update

Most customers in Louisiana should be restored by Thursday, Oct. 15, with some customers in the hardest-hit areas being restored by Friday, Oct. 16. 

The company currently has a storm team of approximately 8,000 working to restore service to those who remain without power across Louisiana.

A primary cause of outages was saturated grounds and high winds, leading to downed trees and limbs falling into power lines. In some hard-to-access locations, crews must bring in specialized equipment like airboats. Rear-alley machines are needed to repair damage in customers’ backyards.

Texas Update

Entergy Texas expects most customers to be restored by Wednesday, Oct. 14. Some customers in the hardest-hit areas may take until Thursday, Oct. 15. The company currently has a storm team of nearly 2,200 workers focused on restoration across Jefferson and Orange counties.

As crews narrowed in on the hardest-hit areas, they began handling many smaller cases that restored power to fewer customers at a time. In some cases, repairs could not begin until large trees were cut and removed from downed power lines.

Additionally, 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. The remaining outages are primarily concentrated in the Beaumont, Orange and Port Arthur areas.

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.

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