News Release > Floodwaters Receding in Some Areas, Rising in Others as Restoration Continues

Floodwaters Receding in Some Areas, Rising in Others as Restoration Continues

08/15/2016

CONTACT

Michael Burns
504-576-4132
mburns@entergy.com                    

Kacee Kirschvink
504-576-4132
kkirsch@entergy.com

BATON ROUGE, La. – Entergy Louisiana crews continue to work on restoring service to customers affected by the historic Louisiana flooding as water recedes in some areas.

As of 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday, approximately 16,335 customers were without electricity, down from a peak of more than 26,000 reached Sunday night. Customer outages tend to fluctuate as changing levels of floodwater affect different areas. Water is now rising in other areas of Ascension and St. James parishes and crews will work in those areas once water recedes and safety allows.

“We’re making strides as quickly as we can, but safety is the first priority for both our crews and our customers,” said Dennis Dawsey, vice president of customer service in Louisiana. “This historic flood is presenting some unique challenges, but we prepare year-round for many scenarios and our crews will keep working until service is restored to all.”

Entergy Louisiana's Darren Dehesa and David Barbay conduct damage assessments at a Baton Rouge substation.

As water recedes, both electric and gas crews are walking the neighborhoods to inspect facilities and our customers’ ability to receive electric or gas service if homes have flooded. If floodwaters did affect homes, then homeowners may need to hire licensed professionals to make sure their systems are ready to go before Entergy can act. Here’s a breakdown for both electric and gas customers:

Electric

• If you experienced flooding at or above your electric meter and water has receded, a licensed electrician may need to inspect your location and possibly obtain a parish or city permit before your power can be restored. This is to ensure your personal safety.
• Once this process is complete, please contact us at 1-800-ENTERGY.

Gas

• Anytime you smell natural gas, or if you hear a blowing or hissing noise, open a window, leave the area immediately and call 1-800-ENTERGY.
• If you experience any interruption of your natural gas service, call 1-800-ENTERGY to report a natural gas outage.
• If you had minimal flooding in your home or business and your gas appliances were not damaged, you don’t need to call Entergy to inspect your gas service.
• If your gas meter flooded, but your gas appliances were not damaged, you don’t need to call Entergy to inspect your gas service.
• If one or more of your gas appliances have flooded, contact a licensed plumber or contractor to inspect your system before using the flooded appliance. Don’t try to put a flooded natural gas appliance back in service yourself. You may be required to obtain a permit from your respective city or parish before we can restore your gas service.

“We understand some customers may be concerned as they return to their homes and learn that their service can’t immediately be restored,” Dawsey said. “But power and water don’t mix. We want everyone to be safe as they deal with the challenges of returning home and putting their lives back in order.”

Restoration updates for affected areas can also be found on our homepage at entergy.com, through Entergy’s mobile app or via outage texting. In addition, tips for dealing with flooding can be found in the “What to do after the storm” section of Entergy’s Operation: Storm Ready guide on the Entergy Storm Center.

Here are some to keep in mind:

• Return home only when authorities advise it, and drive only on roadways and bridges that have been declared passable.
• Don’t walk in flooded areas or standing water. Remember that wet tree limbs and other items can conduct electricity.
• Be cautious when entering your home and watch for snakes, insects and other animals that may have been driven to higher ground by floodwaters.
• If your home is wet, open doors and windows to dry it.
• Don’t step in water to get to the fuse box or circuit breaker.
• If your electricity is off and you plan to use a portable electric generator in your home or business, do so only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Never connect a generator directly to a building’s wiring without a licensed electrician disconnecting the wiring from Entergy’s service. Otherwise, it can create a safety hazard within the building or for Entergy’s linemen working to restore power. Click here for more information about generator safety.

Entergy Louisiana, LLC provides electric service to more than 1 million customers and natural gas service to approximately 93,000 customers in the greater Baton Rouge area. With operations in southern, central and northeastern Louisiana, the company is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation.

Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including nearly 10,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of approximately $11.5 billion and more than 13,000 employees.

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