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Insights > Team of 26,000 Labors on Labor Day to Get More Louisiana Lights On
Team of 26,000 Labors on Labor Day to Get More Louisiana Lights On
09/06/2021
Just eight days after being struck by one of the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit the United States, more than half of the 902,000 total customers who lost power have been restored. As of 4 p.m. today 465,000, had been restored.
Nearly half (48%) of Louisiana’s 697,000 customers who lost power in Hurricane Ida have been restored. This is up from 42% yesterday. Two thirds of New Orleans’ 205,000 outages have been restored. Entergy and its team of 26,000 will continue restoration where it is safe to do so and where power can be received, with most customers expected to be restored between now and the end of the day Wednesday, Sept. 8.
Visit our dedicated Hurricane Ida restoration website at entergy.com/hurricaneida/etr to get the most up-do-date estimated times of restoration.
Estimates are subject to change as we continue with restoration work in the affected areas, but updates will be issued as we learn more.
Online/mobile outage info access update
Due to the magnitude of the damages caused by this storm affecting connectivity and other associated issues, we are experiencing technical difficulties that may lead to delays in power status available through our outage reporting tools, including the View Outages map, mobile app and texting “STAT” to receive your outage status.
As we work to restore our systems, we ask that if you are aware of an inconsistency between the reported status and power availability at a location, please notify us through one of the following options:
- Texting “OUT” to 36778. Using myentergy.com or our mobile app.
- Dialing 1-800-9OUTAGE to report your outage to the automated system or speak to a representative.
We are working to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.
Please ignore any message you may have received in error when texting “OUT” stating that your number would be removed from text notifications. If this occurred, you’ll have to resend a text with “OUT” to 36778. We apologize for any confusion.
Customers must have a registered myEntergy account to sign up for outage texting.
If you were signed up for outage texting before we transitioned to the myEntergy portal last year, you must create a myEntergy account before re-registering for texting services.
Receiving an “Entergy: Unauthorized User” response when trying to register or report an outage via text means you don’t have an active myEntergy account.
To register for myEntergy, visit myentergy.com and select “Sign Up”. For added security purposes, the first time you log in to myEntergy, you will be asked to reset your username and password and confirm your account preferences.
Once registered, you can text “REG” to 36778 to sign-up for outage texting. The registration pattern is as follows including spaces: REG (account number) (ZIP code).
At that point you’ll be able to report an outage at your location by texting “OUT” to 36778.
To register for myEntergy, visit myentergy.com and select “Sign Up”. For added security purposes, the first time you log in to myEntergy, you will be asked to reset your username and password and confirm your account preferences.
New storms
A cold front moving southeast through the service territory continues to threaten thunderstorms and lightning. These storms could hamper restoration in areas where conditions become unsafe for our restoration team to continue its work.
We continue watching Disturbance 37 for possible effects to our territory. Currently, the disturbance is expected to have little effect on our territory as it approaches the Florida peninsula Tuesday night.
Special Circumstances for Some Customers
Customers with property damage may require special action to speed their restoration:
- If your property has water damage, turn off the electricity at either the main fuse box or circuit breaker. Don’t step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker.
- Call a licensed electrician for advice when necessary. A licensed electrician’s inspection of your property’s electric wiring may be needed before Entergy can restore power to a home or business that has water damage from rain or flooding.
- Customers with damage to their meter, meter pan or weatherhead will need repairs to those items prior to Entergy re-energizing their structure.
For customers without property damage:
- Property owners without hurricane damage should be cautious.
- Look for electrical system damage once power is restored. If you see sparks, broken or frayed wires, or the smell of hot insulation is noticeable, turn off the electricity at either the main fuse box or circuit breaker.
- Call a licensed electrician for advice when necessary. Don’t step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker.
Please do not reach out directly to our workers as they restore service. They are working very hard to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. Interacting with crews while they perform work can be a distraction that creates safety issues and disrupts their efficiency.
Keep safety at the forefront of everything you do. If you see a power line down, treat it as though it were energized and report it to 1-800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
Return home only when authorities advise and drive only on roadways and bridges declared passable.
Stay alert for natural gas leaks. If you smell natural gas, or if you hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and leave the area immediately. Do not operate electrical switches. More on gas safety is below.
When power is restored, look for electrical system damage. If you see sparks or broken or frayed wires, or notice the smell of hot insulation, turn off the electricity at either the main fuse box or circuit breaker. You may need a licensed electrician to assess your equipment and assure safety.
We continue to work with and receive support from local, state and federal officials to ensure our communities’ needs are met in this time of crisis.
Road closures, flooding and other accessibility challenges due to the storm continue affecting our ability to reach some areas of our territory and could delay restoration in those communities.
We assess damage as safely and quickly as we can. In 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. Even so, lack of access in areas like waterways and marshes could delay our damage assessment.
The greatest danger after this type of storm remains downed power lines and electrical equipment. If anyone sees a power line or electrical equipment on the ground or in the trees or bushes -- do not go near it! Call us at 1-800-9OUTAGE (800-968-8243).
Responding simultaneously to a major storm and COVID-19 could affect our response:
- Along with standard storm preparations, Entergy employees continue navigating the COVID-19 pandemic by taking additional steps. These include traveling separately if necessary, adjusting crew staging locations and greater use of drones.
- Due to the 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.
You should stay safe as we restore service outages caused by Hurricane Ida.
- 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 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. Be cautious when clearing limbs or downed vegetation as they could hide electrical hazards.
Some customers without power may choose to use a portable generator.
If customers choose to use a generator, they should buy one only from a reputable dealer who can service and maintain the unit.
- Customers should always use portable electric generators in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
- A gasoline engine usually powers stand-alone generators. Customers should use them only in well-ventilated areas. Never use a generator indoors as carbon monoxide from the exhaust is deadly.
- If the generator has panel-mounted electrical receptacles as part of the unit, appliances may be plugged directly into the generator.
- 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 Entergy’s workers working to restore power. And it may damage the generator or the house wiring.
- Customers should use a licensed electrician to install the necessary equipment should they decide to wire a generator into their home wiring. The equipment should include a switch to transfer the power source between Entergy and the generator.
- The generator should be properly sized for the expected load. For example, a 3-kilowatt generator will produce 3,000 watts. This is enough power for a 1,200-watt hair dryer and a 1,600-watt toaster, with some power left over for a few light bulbs. Customers should plan for additional needs when sizing their generator.
- Customers should consider a generator’s noise pollution as part of their buying decision. The noise may be obtrusive to neighbors without power.
- Commercial customers should consult with an independent engineer or electrician to size the generator, modify wiring and provide for automatic transfer of power during an outage.
- Customers should consult with suppliers, vendors and local electrical utility companies about required permits before starting any work in a home or business.
- Restoration workers who discover a generator attached directly to Entergy’s system will work with the customer to disconnect the generator. As a last resort, the restoration worker will disconnect the customer’s service connection to Entergy, which may take an extended time to reconnect due to the extensive restoration effort underway.
Natural Gas Safety Precautions
- Stay alert for natural gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window and leave the area immediately. Do not use an open flame, operate electrical switches, use telephones (corded or mobile) or other electronic devices. Call the gas company from a nearby building and don’t re-enter until it’s safe to do so. For more gas safety tips: entergynewsroom.com/storm-center/gassafety.
- In flooded areas, a steady stream of bubbles on the surface of the water may be evidence of a gas leak. In areas that are not flooded, blowing dirt or dead grass and plants near a gas line may be evidence of a leak, in addition to the easily detectable smell and a hissing sound.
- Please do not attempt to turn on or off your natural gas valve.
Help for Those Affected by Hurricane Ida
- Even as our crews work to restore power to communities impacted by Hurricane Ida, we have mobilized to provide additional support for co-workers, customers, friends and neighbors who have suffered losses in this devastating storm.
- As an American Red Cross National Disaster Responder Member, Entergy Corporation made a $500,000 commitment to enable the organization to effectively respond to storms and disasters.
- Red Cross volunteers are working very closely with the entire response community – government agencies, other non-profit groups, faith-based organizations, area businesses and others – to coordinate emergency relief efforts and get help to people as quickly as possible.
- The work is just beginning. The Red Cross is using financial donations to help people recover and get back on their feet in the challenging weeks and months ahead. You can help by joining us in donating at https://redcross.org.
