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Insights > Entergy Texas Restoration Update - 8/30/20 @ 8 a.m.
Entergy Texas Restoration Update - 8/30/20 @ 8 a.m.
08/30/2020
Entergy Texas continues to make great progress restoring power since Hurricane Laura hit the shores of Texas and Louisiana. As of 7:15am, Entergy Texas has 71,939 customers without power compared to the peak of 291,300 customers. This reflects that 219,361 customers have been restored since the peak of the storm.
While crews continue to make repairs to our distribution system, restoring power to customers have been slowed because of the damage to our transmission system. Our electric system is still in a very fragile state and we are taking steps to improve system conditions, but the damage to our transmission system is significant.
Entergy Texas has deployed approximately 7,000 workers in the impacted areas and is making repairs including broken poles, wire down, pole equipment and damage from fallen trees. Entergy Texas employees and contractors continue to follow COVID-19 procedures to ensure the safety of our work force.
Entergy Texas estimates that all customers who can take power in the Beaumont, Port Arthur and Silsbee surrounding areas are expected to be restored by Sunday, August 30, Groves by Monday, August 31 and the Orange area is estimated by Friday, September 4. However, given the extent of damage these times may change as our crews assess the damage and make progress restoring customers.
Beaumont
As of 7:15am, there are 8,144 customers without power in the Beaumont area. There are 900 additional workers that have been brought to the area to assist with restoration.
Damage assessments are 90% complete and crews have identified 72 poles down, 11 transformers blown, and more than 40,000 feet of wire that need replacement.
Servicemen continue working and making repairs in:
- South Beaumont – near Exxon Mobile, the Avenues, Cardinal Drive;
- Central Beaumont - Old Town and downtown;
- North Beaumont - near Concord, off Helbig Road;
- West Beaumont - off Highway 105, Phelan Blvd, west end near Belvedere.
Orange and Surrounding Areas
As of 7:15am, 36,464 customers are without power. Total outages include Bridge City-4,313, Mauriceville-63, Orange – 20,887, Orangefield-35, Rose City-6, Vidor-9,034, and West Orange-1,650.
The Entergy transmission system was severely damaged by the storm. That system provides power to several substations in the Orange area and has prevented the restoring of some customers in these areas. Workers are repairing lines and equipment in our distribution system while our transmission workers are making necessary repairs or rebuilding its infrastructure. Once the transmission power is restored and the substations are energized, many customers should receive power.
Distribution damage assessment is 86% complete. A distribution feeder near the Sabine River is inaccessible and has not been patrolled. Entergy Texas is utilizing an airboat at 8am to help patrol the line. Currently, there are 653 broken poles, 217,250 feet of wire down (869 spans of wire), and 328 broken crossarms.
Extra crews and management teams are coming to the Orange area to help coordinate with the restoration effort. Substation feeder breakers will be closed in today but will not be energized until transmission line repairs are complete. A 1-megawatt generator has been brought in and will serve the Jackson Street water treatment plant in the City of Orange.
Crew Assignments continue to work in the following areas:
Vidor has 21 crews working: 4 crews in the Rose City area/ I-10 3-phase crossing this afternoon, 10 crews on Highway105 between Hampton substation and Lakeview, 7 more crews are on the Highway 12 east to Mauriceville area.
Orange has 73 crews working: 23 crews are working in the Old Town/Simmons Drive area, 21 crews are working in the North 87/Little Cypress area, 11 crews are working in the West Orange cove, 18 crews are working in the Pinehurst, McArthur Drive, and MLK areas.
Bridge City has 39 crews working: 18 crews working South of 87, East and West of Cow Bayou, 7 crews working on 1442 west to the Bridgeview area, 14 crews are working in the 1442 North to the Sabine Power Plant.
Groves, Nederland, Port Arthur and Port Neches
As of 7:15am, there are 26,470 customers without power in the cities of Groves, Nederland, Port Arthur, Port Neches, Sabine Pass & Taylor Landing.
Entergy Scouts have completed the assessments of these areas and have identified all damaged equipment that have caused customer outages. These assessments have identified 79 downed poles, 113 spans of wire, 14 damaged transformers and 137 broken crossarms. Workers will continue to repair damage and restore customers where we can safely do so.
The Entergy transmission system was severely damaged by the storm. That system provides power to several substations in Groves, Nederland and Port Neches areas and has prevented the restoring of customers in these areas. Workers are repairing lines and equipment in our distribution system while our transmission workers are making necessary repairs or rebuilding its infrastructure. Once the transmission power is restored and the substations are energized, many customers should receive power.
Entergy Texas has approximately 1,500 workers assisting in the Port Arthur Network restoration effort, including approximately 1,150 Linemen, 150 Vegetation Workers and 200 Scouts. Entergy Texas expects to restore most of its customers, who can safely take power, by Sunday, August 30. Customers in the Groves area may not receive power until Monday, August 31.
Silsbee, Lumberton and Woodville Surrounding Areas
All customers, who can take power, in the Silsbee, Lumberton and Woodville areas were fully restored on Saturday, August 29. If you are still without power, please call 1-800-9OUTAGE.
Safety Tips
For the safety of our crews, please stay away from their work zones. If you need to report a problem with your service or get bill payment help, we’re just a phone call away: 1-800-ENTERGY.
For additional preparation tips and updates, click here.
As with any weather event, please be mindful of the following safety tips:
- Live wires can be deadly. Stay away from downed power lines. Call 1 800 9OUTAGE or1 800 968 8243 to report downed or dangling power lines, poles or other damaged equipment.
- Do not trim trees or remove debris on or near downed power lines. Only power company crews or their contractors should remove trees or limbs touching power lines.
- Keep away from the immediate areas where crews are working. There is always the danger of moving equipment and the possibility of construction materials or limbs or overhead wires falling to the ground.
- If you plan on using a generator for temporary power, get a licensed electrician and disconnect from the utility electric system before hooking up to your home main electric panel.
- Do not run a generator in a confined space without adequate ventilation.
- Avoid using candles or other flammable devices to warm your home.
- Check on seniors, who can be particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures.
- Try to stay off the roads in affected areas. More traffic in bad weather leads to more accidents, including more injuries and fatalities as well as accidents that can damage electrical poles and other equipment, creating outages and impeding the ability of crews to access and repair damage and slowing restoration.
Information Resources
We want to keep you informed and in control so here is the best way to get information about outages in addition to the View Outage application:
- Download our app for your smartphone at entergy.com/app or visit entergystormcenter.com to stay informed on our restoration progress. Android users who have difficulty accessing the app on their smartphones can get information from the mobile version of our site at entergy.com.
- 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.
- Follow us on Twitter.com/Entergy or Facebook.com/Entergy.
- Follow updates in your local news media, like radio, television and newspapers.
