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Insights > Hurricane Barry Update: Entergy Mississippi Teams Ready to Respond
Hurricane Barry Update: Entergy Mississippi Teams Ready to Respond
07/13/2019
Barry is now a hurricane, with its center nearing the Louisiana coastline. We continue to prepare for the possibility that this weather system may impact our region with severe thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rains.
Once the storm passes and as soon as it is safe to do so, Entergy will immediately begin assessing damages and restoring power to impacted areas. This process could take several days depending on the severity of the storm impact.
We know you want information about your outage.
- As soon as it is safe to do so, we will immediately begin assessing damage and restoring power. This process could take several days depending on the severity of the storm’s impact.
- Once it’s safe, our damage assessment teams (scouts) will patrol the lines and view the facilities to determine how much the storm damaged our electrical system.
- Our scouts provide details that help us know what we need to do to restore your service and to let you know how long it may take.
Here’s how we approach things at this stage.
- 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 customers back the fastest.
- We can’t use our bucket trucks until sustained winds are less than 30 mph. In some instances, we can begin restoring service to customers by closing circuit breakers, rerouting power and other actions.
- Road and flood-gate closures, significant flooding and other accessibility challenges due to the storm will affect our ability reach some areas of our territory and could delay restoration in those communities.
We continue implementing our detailed, rehearsed plan that has worked well for us during past storm events. Our restoration process is a team effort.
- Restoration involves not only workers from our area but also crews from other parts of the four states we serve, other utility companies and contractors.
- 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.
Here’s some of what we will be doing to restore your power safely and quickly after the storm.
- The extra workers coming to help us will gather at staging sites to prepare to restore service.
- 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.
You should stay safe during the storm.
- 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 (800-968-8243).
- Stay away from standing water and debris from trees and other vegetation. It may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines.
- Our disaster partner American Red Cross is preparing to provide shelter for thousands of customers until they can return home or find other safe places to stay. Anyone needing a safe place to go can call 211, visit redcross.org or download the free Red Cross Emergency App at http://rdcrss.org/apps.
- We know you want us to keep you informed every step of the way about our response.
Here is how you can get information.
- Download our free app for your smartphone at http://entergy.com/app.
- Sign up for text alerts. From your cell phone, text REG to 368374.
- Visit the Entergy Storm Center website and our View Outages
- Follow us on Twitter or Facebook
- Call us at 800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
